Families mourn brother

By Jade Lawton
SIX young soldiers, arm in arm, carried the coffin of Aaran Stewart McCann into the Pakenham Uniting Church last week.
Hundreds of mourners, most wearing red as a show of support for Australia’s soldiers, rose as the coffin arrived. Many were already standing — there were no seats left.
Aaran McCann, a soldier in the 2nd/14th Light Horse regiment, was killed on Monday 2 February when a motorcycle he was riding collided with a car at the Enoggera army barracks, six kilometres north-west of Brisbane.
His funeral was held on Wednesday 11 February.
The service began with a prayer led by Chaplain Roger Marsh.
Trooper and friend Eamon Hale then shared stories from the night before Aaran’s death, when the pair had gone to see a movie.
“Little Mac had two families: his blood family, and his army family,” he said.
“The image of his tiny frame carrying a massive machine-gun and an even bigger smile will forever be etched on my memory.”
“The last night was a night of classic little Mac. The entire night, he had me in stitches.
“We went to wash his car, and he pulled out his wallet to reveal the only dollar coin he had. He put that in the slot. ‘How much time do we have?’ and I said about 90 seconds. He said he better just rinse it then, and off he went. While he wasn’t looking I put a few more dollars in.
“‘How much time do we have left?’ I said about nine and a half minutes. He got to work and that little Gemini shone.”
“It only took Mac nine and a half minutes to wash his car, and it only took him 19 and a half years to live a life full of adventure.”
Aaran’s brothers Nathan and Lochlan spoke together about Aaran, their younger brother and willing guinea pig for their jumps and go-kart experiments.
“We three boys used dad’s ‘good timber’ and ‘good tools’ to build go-karts,” they said, in turns.
“Azz would go first. There were no breaks, and instead of jumping out, Azz would mount the gutter.
“With all his crazy escapades, he well and truly used up his warranty on life.”
“Rest in peace brother, brother in arms, soldier.”
Aaran’s younger sister, Rebecca, spoke through tears.
“I love you so much Azzy, you’re my big brother and I want you to know you will always be in my heart,” she said.
“We shall not cry because you are gone, but smile because you were with us.”
“Rest in peace big brother, watch over us and protect us. I will always love you and never forget you.”
Mourners were then shown a photo montage of Aaran, set to Green Day’s ‘Time of Your Life.’
The service ended with a lone bagpiper leading the funeral procession from the church to the hearse.
The crowd at Aaran’s funeral was testament to his impact on the Pakenham community.
Aaran started life with a baptism at the Pakenham Uniting Church. He went to Pakenham Consolidated School, Pakenham Secondary College, and played football for Pakenham Football Club.
Aaran was buried in the Pakenham Cemetery, and his funeral party continued on at the Pakenham Inn.