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The families of many of the 158Canadian troopskilled in Afghanistan carried photos of their lostsons, daughters, brothers and sisters toParliament Hill forthe National Day ofHonour on Friday, joiningthe thousands who gathered torecognize the soldiers sacrifice.

The names of your loved ones are engraved on our hearts,on the hearts of all Canadians who cherish the freedom, justice and human dignity, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who used the occasion toannounce that the dates 2001-2014 will be chiseled into the stone of the National War Memorial. These are the things they died protecting. Canadians are safer and Canada is stronger because of their sacrifice.

A minute of silence was broken when Chinook and Griffin helicopters, and Hercules, Airbus and Globemaster transport planes, flew over Parliament Hill shortly before Harper offered thanks to the thousands of veterans of the longest war in Canadian history.

The day of remembrance began early Friday when peoplewandered among static displays on the Hill, where soldiers in their ordinary camouflage uniforms displayed the tools of their trade. They included a hulking Leopard tank and a Bison armoured ambulance, a Coyote reconnaissance vehicle, and a long-barrelled M-777 Howitzer that can throw a 155-mm projectile 30 kilometres.

And there were sniper rifles and machine-guns, grenade launchers and carbines, the workaday weapons for ordinary soldiers.

Master Cpl. James Hatfield gave tours of the confined space of the Lav III armoured vehicle. As the crew commander during his 2009 tour in Afghanistan, he sat beside the gunner and called the shots for his team.

I found I got a better perspective on things, Hatfield said. You come back feeling more mature.

Visitors to Parliament Hill also had the opportunity to take turns boarding a Chinook helicopter like the ones that flew in Afghanistan.

When Louis Ernest Dubois, 64, stepped into the helicopter Friday he immediately felt pride. His son, 39-year-old Maj. Alexandre Dubois, flew a Chinook during his tour in Afghanistan five years ago.

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Afghanistan sacrifices remembered on National Day of Honour