Death of a soldier

By Jade Lawton
PAKENHAM’S Aaran McCann will be laid to rest with a military service today (Wednesday.)
Aaran died on Monday, 2 February when a motorcycle he was riding collided with a parked car at the Enoggera army barracks, six kilometres north-west of Brisbane.
His parents, Brad and Janene McCann, brought their son’s body home last week.
Aaran joined the Army on 3 July 2007. He finished his basic training at Kapooka, NSW in September, completed his Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) driver training course at Puckapunyal and was most recently based in Enogerra, where he was in the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment.
This year he had joined C Squadron, where he was to be given his “own” ASLAV. The McCann family said Aaran had been excited about naming his vehicle when he was last home, during the Christmas holidays. His squadron had honoured Aaran by giving his car the name he had chosen — “Can Grease.”
Aaran’s regiment will always remember him, having adopted his pet turtle as regimental mascot.
Brad and Janene McCann said their son was liked and loved by many people. “He was a kind and friendly lad that would talk to everyone and was never short of a word,” they said. “Aaran leaves a huge hole in many people’s lives with his sudden departure. He came into this world crying and left us smiling. That cheeky little smile will be remembered forever and will live on forever in our hearts.”
Aaran’s friends Daniel Robson, Cale Burke, and Allan McLean said Aaran was a great friend.
“You could be having a bad day and just being around Aaran would cheer you up. “He was so loud for such a small person. He used to super-size everything; he was always bragging about how he drove an armoured vehicle in the Army and how it was so big and powerful compared to what anyone else in the ranks drove.”
Aaran had been involved at some stage with many local groups, including Little Athletics, Scouting, Pakenham Auto Club, and the Pakenham Football Club.
A former employee of Pakenham McDonald’s, he was in Pakenham Secondary College’s class of 2007.
His funeral will be held at the Pakenham Uniting Church at 2pm today (Wednesday).