President Irfaan Mohammed Ali declared December 10 to be a day of prayer and reflection following the loss of five Guyanese Defense Force troops whose chopper crashed close to the Guyanese/Venezuelan border.
Brig(Rtd) Gary Beaton, Col Michael Shahoud, Lt Cols Michael Charles and Shaun Welcome, and Staff Sgt Jason Khan are among the slain servicemen for whom Ali called on religious organizations to assist in honoring their memory.
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Ali stated in a statement sent by the president’s office, “It is in moments like these that we must find strength in unity, solace in each other, and hope in our shared humanism.” He added, “Now is the time to draw strength from one another to share in the burden of sorrow and to collectively pray for the victims, their grieving families, and for the swift recovery of the survivors of this horrific helicopter crash.”
According to him, the day of prayer would provide a chance for people of all faiths and backgrounds to unite in prayer for the slain troops and reflect on the sacrifices made by the warriors serving Guyana.
About thirty miles east of the border, the GDF’s Bell 412 helicopter crashed on Wednesday, killing five troops.
Cpl Dwayne Jackson and Lt Col Andio Michael Crawford made it out of the collision alive.
