James Hayward Arnal Tribute

I stopped by to offer my condolences to the family of this fine and courageous young man. I have an indirect family connection--my cousin Maureen is a relative of Cpl Arnal through her mother's family. To his grieving family, may you find comfort.

I am a friend of Jim's mom Wendy. I met Jim when I worked for his mom at Canada Trust. What a cute kid, always had a smile and a wink followed by a giggle. He grew up to be such an impressive man, a hero, my hero. Jim gave the ultimate sacrifice for what he knew in his heart to be right. He fought for those who couldnt. He wanted to bring peace and freedom to those who never had what we have in Canada. His goal was to save lives, bring peace...he did not set out to be a hero, it was his destiny. Jim was a hero in life, an inspiration to us all. I challenge everyone, in memory of Jim to "pay it forward". Keep his goddness, his goals of freedom and kindness alive. Pay it forward to your fellow man, show some kindness, stand up for those who cant, stand up for what Jim believed in. Jim made the world a better place, we need to carry on is legacy. Little did I know, 10 years ago, when I met Wendy, she would play such a role in my life, and thru her, a hero. God Bless You Wendy, Andrew and Ken, my heart breaks. Rho

We'll often think back to the days of old,
to our Proud Soldier we use to behold;
We'll remember his humble and selfless ways,
putting others first after long hard days;
We'll remember his 'fearlessness' he often masked,
when speaking of his responsibilities and tasks;
We'll cherish his sweet mischievious smile,
which he often used with his natural guile;
We'll remember his strong determination and pride,
of serving his nation and all else he tried;
We all have our own memories of James,
riding bikes, exploring and playing games;
We'll cherish the laughter, the joys and the tears,
keeping his spirit alive throughout the years;
Until we meet again in that better place,
we will wait, impatiently, to behold your face;
We'll often look back and wish we could behold,
Our Proud Soldier, James, we'll remember of old.

Love you James, and we miss you terribly,
Love always,
Grandma & Grandpa,
Auntie Janet, Ian, Giuseppe, Adam, Jenn, Deidre & Giovanni

James Hayward Arnal will be remembered by me because of his leadership, aggressiveness and determination to fight in Afghanistan for Canada. To me, he is the poster boy of what the Canadian Forces is looking for in a new recruit. Butting in line to try and get a third tour overseas, he is the the Soldier who woke up in the morning and made every day count! His motto may have been "Seize the day!"

Be proud to know that your family, fellow Soldiers and country could not be more proud of you! You have inspired many men because of the exemplary example you have set in the Canadian Forces.


James