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Andrewwhyte

Seargent Christos Karigiannis

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From the CSPA Chat list:
I heard tonight at the 10h:00 PM TV news that Sergeant Christos Karigiannis
was one of the 3 Canadian soldiers killed by a bomb in Afghanistan today
Wednesday June the 20th.

Chris is one of our fellow CSPA member. Chris has written an article "Once
more into the zone" in October 2005 Canpara issue. The article was about how
to get the best from a load organizer at Rantoul WFFC.

I met Chris the summer of 2005 at Rantoul. A proud Canadian and a gentleman
as well. If you look at the October 2005 Canpara issue you will see a
picture of a dozen of Canadians attending the 2005 WFFC including Chris
Karigiannis C3068, C2 and IA

My sincere condolences to the Karigiannis family.

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Chris was a young man who took his career as an infantyman seriously. He considered it an honour to to lead his section of men and was excited when he left in February for Afganistan.

He had been an active skydiver for a dozen years or so and had been one of the go-to instructors at the Eden North Dropzone near Edmonton, Alberta, when he wasn't off with the military on training or with the Skyhawks.

Chris died way too early and it hurts to write about him in the past tense. However, he approached life with passion and he would not have had it any other way.

Chris led a soldier's life and he died a soldiers death.

Goodbye, my friend. Your job is done. You did it well.

BSBD

Captain Phil Perry
Canadian Military Engineers (Retired)

Major Dad
CSPA D-579

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I just realized Chris was one of the soldiers this afternoon when I picked up a paper, and it saddens me very much. While I didn't know him intimately, he always struck me as someone who had a great sense of honor, and he was always fun to be around. I was just saying to a friend of mine yesterday (literally) that he wrote one of my all time favorite articles for CanPara, and I was thinking about bugging him to write some more.

He will be missed, and my thoughts go out to his friends and family,
I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter.

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I thought that if I waited a day or two I'd know what to say... I still don't know what to say.

Chris was an amazing person, who approached life with passion and amition. He was intelligent and quiet, but lived life to the fullest and truly believed in what he was doing in Afghanistan.

He shouldn't have even been there, though. He was supposed to leave for 3 weeks vacation in New Zealand on that day, but for some reason his departure got pushed back one day. In that one day he was killed. He told me he was going to scuba dive, climb, cave explore, ski, and do something called a Sky Jump (he said to look it up - its in Auckland), as well as skydive if he could rent gear, while on vacation. And a month after that he was going to be home, and doing some 4-way with us at Eden. He also said that it was probably his last tour overseas because he has been away so much with the military. This is so wrong... he shouldn't have been there that day.

I wish I could think of something better or more eloquent to say. We lost an amazing soldier, skydiver and friend.

Blue skies Chris... We'll all miss you. I'll take a rain check on that 4-way.

I'll try to post some pictures later...

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In November 2005 I had to pleasure of teaching Chris the Skydiving School Instructor rating in Calgary. Attached is a picture of him crashing at my house during the course.


Chris was someone I had known a bit through various Drop Zones, however the experience of teaching him the course let me see him shine as a professional instructor/teacher. Chris truly excelled on the course and was passionate about our sport and the process of instructing. He provided insight to his peers on the course through his experience as an instructor in the military and his sense of teamwork was evident and appreciated by all on the course.

At the time I was dealing with many personal issues in my life related to a failed relationship, betrayal and a broken heart, Chris was kind enough to share some similar stories and offer some words of wisdom and support. I was able to share with him stories of my cousin Paul who was a member of the same regiment as Chris and how Paul had ultimately & tragically killed himself as a result of what he saw in the former Yugoslavia during deployments there in the mid 1990s.


I ran into Chris when I literally bumped into him in a hallway at Skydive Arizona in February before his deployment overseas, we had a brief conversation about his goals to take more advanced skydiving courses from me upon his return from Afghanistan and after catching up on some stories I shook his hand and wished him good luck and good hunting overseas. I recently smiled and told everyone who would listen when reading the media reports about Chris and the Macleans Magazine issue with the gorgeous girl in it that he and his troops admired.


Its hard to comprehend that that man is no longer with us but I will certainly never forget him and his memory. Chris was a charismatic and passionate skydiver, solider & patriot, he will not be forgotten.


Derek Orr

Chairman, Coaching Working Committee

Canadian Sport Parachuting Association

"Knowledge Dispels Fear"
Derek Orr
CSPA 6620
D-633
IA,IB,IPFF,C1,C2 & Master Course Facilitator

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Last weekend on 7/7/07 I got to do my 1111th jump, after a day of high winds, they died near sunset and I got to go up for a fun hop n pop.
On 21/1/01 a tall jumper with a military haircut, arrived at the DZ
looking to boost his jump numbers enough to qualify for the "Skyhawks" the Canadian Military Parachute display team.
Chris had about 80 jumps at the time, I had 110, my 111th jump was a 2 way with Chris, Marteen ( Tee on DZ.com) was also on the load.
The spot wasn't that great and we ended up in a cow pasture
Some of my first posts on DZ.com were with Tee, laughing about that jump.
Over the next few weekends I did some more 2, 3 and 4 ways with Chris
He achieved his goal joined the Skyhawks and continued his military career.
Chris jumped mostly at Eden North,when I ran in to him at Boogies we would laugh about those jumps
Chris was a gentle giant with a great sense of humour
His passing is a loss to Canada, the Military, the skydiving comunity
and mostly to his family.

Andrew

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It was Remembrance day yesterday and a number of the Edmonton Skydivers went to the service to remember Chris along with many others.

My sister sent this link to me this morning. It is a tribute video that was done up for all the Canadian Soldiers who have died in Afghanistan to date. It will bring a tear to your eye.


http://www.sewolf.ca/Videos/CFTribute800x600.wmv


BSBD Chris

Major Dad
CSPA D-579

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Hard to believe a year has passed since Chris was killed in Afganistan.

He is very much remembered by his friends and his name comes up quite often at the Dropzone.

We'll raise our glasses in his memory tonight by the Bonfire.

Eternal Blue Ones Chris

Miss you like crazy!

Major Dad
CSPA D-579

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