Wife of soldier killed pays tribute in book

Lisa McKinlay, from Garstang, had only been married for ten months when her husband Lance Corporal Jon McKinlay was shot dead on September 14, 2011, while out on patrol with the Afghan police. Jon, who had a daughter a step-daughter and stepson, was shot in the neck and the leg, by a hidden Taliban gunman who opened fire. He was 33 years old.

The last message Lisa had from Jon, was a text on the day he was killed which read “Morning, baby. Hope you have a good day. I’ll speak to you in a bit.”

Three years on from Jon’s death Lisa and his family are still struggling to come to terms with his death, but have made a tribute to him with the help of author Graham Bound to describe the man Lisa called a “wonderful, vibrant, thrill-seeker”.

The book At The Going Down of the Sun: Love, Loss and Sacrifice in Afghanistan will include twenty soldiers and Marines who sadly lost their lives in action, with a chapter dedicated to each.

Lisa, who met Jon in 2007 said: “Jon was always fun, full of banter, and so passionate, you rarely knew what you were going to be doing, where you were going, or why.

“I often have a little chat with him and tell him about what is going on in my life and wonder if he’s watching.’.

“He is literally there all the time, from the minute I wake up until I go to sleep, and then he’s in my dreams.”

At The Going Down Of The Sun: Love, Loss and Sacrifice in Afghanistan,is available in bookshops and online retailers priced £18.99.