Hundreds gathered in Woodstock for the unveiling of a new memorial dedicated to soldiers who fought in Afghanistan.

“If you ask any Afghan vet what it was like, you can't describe it,” Kevin Declark said of his experience. Declark served in Afghanistan for seven months.

“Extremely sad times, extremely good times, the comradery with your brothers and sisters overseas, nothing will ever compare to that,” Declark continued.

The dedication service falls on the fifth anniversary of Pte. Tyler Todd’s death. Todd grew up in Oxford County.

“Just a great guy. Very dearly missed,” said Todd’s friend Jim Armstrong.

Todd was just one of 158 Canadians who lost their lives in Afghanistan.

“He would be very pleased to see everyone come out and show support,” Armstrong said of Todd.

In 2014 an Evening of Honour event was held for local soldiers. It raised $6,000. Organizers decided to use the money build the statue.

“A place (that) not only tributes and gives a place to mourn for the fallen, but also everyone that served, the 40,000 veterans. It’s the longest standing war in Canada so they need a place that’s theirs,” said Jeremy MacKnott, one of the organizers.

“This is a great thing for Tyler, this is a great thing for all the Afghan vets to be honoured and honour them and make them feel like they were a part of something important,” said Trevor Baer, one of Todd’s friends.