SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Deiter Andre never met Thomas Lawless, but being a part of the First World War soldier's burial ceremony last week in France has given the Yellowknife resident a better sense of what it means to be a soldier.

Andre, a Yellowknife firefighter and a reservists in the Canadian Armed Forces, said serving as one of the pallbearers at the March 15 ceremony for Pte. Lawless at Vimy Ridge - a historic battle site in France - was a memorable experience.

"It's moving, for sure," he said. "It's hard to say that somebody should have to give their lives for everybody else - but that's war and that's part of the job as a firefighter."

Andre, 28, grew up in Yellowknife and joined the reservists in 2010. He said being the only Yellowknife resident among the 12-person Edmonton-based regiment that flew to France was an honour.

Lawless, born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 11, 1889, was a member of Alberta's 49th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force at the time of his death in the First World War.

Capt. Conrad Schubert of the Yellowknife C Company of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment 49th Battalion, said the existing battalion is an extension of Lawless's battalion, and as such, it's the battalion's responsibility to bury Lawless.

The Department of National Defence announced in a press release this year that human remains unearthed at a construction site in Avion, France, in 2003 were identified as those of Lawless on Jan. 10, 2011 using DNA, facial reconstruction and military and family history records. Schubert said Lawless is believed to have been killed in battle on June 8, 1917, near Avion.

"It doesn't matter when it happens ... the responsibility for seeing Pte. Lawless to his final resting place still remains with the regiment," Schubert said.

Schubert said he was asked to select one member to represent his company for the ceremony, and after some consideration, it was determined that Andre was the most deserving of the honour. Andre didn't need much convincing to go.

"He jumped at the opportunity," said Schubert.

It was Andre's first time at Vimy. He said it was amazing to see the former battle sites and the military cemeteries. However, he said the highlight of the experience was meeting Lawless's remaining family members, and hearing Lawless's great grand niece sing a traditional Irish song during the funeral ceremony, he said.

However, the experience also gave Andre time to reflect on the dangers and risks of his two professions, especially his job as a firefighter.

"We were down there (at Vimy) and one of the burials was on March 17, which was the same day Cyril (Fife) and Kevin (Olsen) passed away," said Andre, referring to the two Yellowknife firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2005, a year after Andre joined the department.

The Department of National Defence estimates there are about 19,500 Canadian soldiers who fought in France and Belgium during the First World War that have yet to be accounted for.

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