20-year anniversary of soldier’s death commemorated with milestone defibrillator donation

Matthew Dinning serves as a military police officer in Afghanistan in 2006. (Source: Veterans Canada)

On April 22, 2006, 23-year-old Matthew Dinning was killed in Afghanistan. He was protecting Brig. Gen. David Fraser when his military vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED).

“Sometimes it feels like 20 years, and sometimes it feels like yesterday. We still miss Matthew dearly,” said Matthew’s father, Lincoln Dinning.

To mark the 20^th anniversary of Matthew’s passing, a lifesaving automated external defibrillator (AED) was donated in his honour to the Wingham Legion.

It’s the second defibrillator to bear Dinning’s name, soon to hang on the legion’s walls.

“Matthew Denning was our second donation when we first started. I knew Matthew. I’m friends with the family. And the community knew Matthew, and everything that he brought. And today’s a recognition of not only putting a defibrillator out there and not only Matthew’s sacrifice, on the 20th anniversary of his passing, but the sacrifice of his family. Lincoln, Laurie and his brother, they’ve had to live 20 years without their loved one, so they’ve sacrificed as well,” explained Patrick Armstrong, founder of the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund, who donated the defibrillator in Dinning’s name.

It’s is the 250^th defibrillator donated by the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund in honour of fallen soldiers, police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel.

“They’re very much like first responders and people in the military, that you don’t necessarily see them all the time, but they’re always there, and they’re always ready to jump into action to save lives. That’s what a defibrillator does,” said Armstrong.

For the Dinning family, Wednesday’s defibrillator donation, on the anniversary of his death, is one more reminder of the kind of person he was - and was becoming - when he died for his country hundreds of miles from home.

“It’s nice to have a defibrillator donated, because it protects people, the lives of people. And in the 250 donations over the years, it has saved seven lives along the way. Now, the Wingham Legion will have one downstairs and one upstairs, and hopefully they’ll never have to use it. But, if they do, it’s here for them,” said Dinning.