CFB GAGETOWN, N.B. - The soldier-mother of a Canadian killed in Afghanistan stood at attention and clutched his beret and the flag that had draped his casket as the hearse carrying her son departed his funeral Tuesday.

Donna Beek, a padre at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, was in full uniform for the service on this sprawling army base for her son, Trooper Corey Hayes.

Her husband and Hayes's stepfather, Master Warrant Officer Bert Beek, also stood at attention by her side as the hearse pulled away from the chapel to the salute of an honour guard.

The couple described their son as a hero.

"He gave his life to a cause that he believed in," they said in a prepared statement.

"Coming from a family with a strong military background ... he wanted to do something to further peace in the world."

Lt.-Col. Martin Frank, commanding officer of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Hayes's regiment, said he was struck by the couple's strength.

"This tragedy has not deterred their dedication to their profession and that has been absolutely remarkable," he said. "The strength that they are displaying during this very difficult time is really amazing."

Born in Ontario, Hayes, 22, grew up in New Brunswick not far from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, where his mother and stepfather are both stationed.

Hayes and Trooper Jack Bouthillier were killed by a roadside bomb March 20 in Shah Wali Khot district, northeast of Kandahar City.

Two other soldiers, Master Cpl. Vernelli and Cpl. Tyler Crooks of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment battle group, were killed in a separate incident that day.

All four soldiers were based at CFB Petawawa, Ont.

Their deaths brought to 116 the number of Canadian soldiers who have died in the Afghan mission since it began in 2002.

Frank described Hayes as a special soldier.

"He will be sorely missed by the regiment, but he will never be forgotten by the regiment," he said.

The Dragoons have suffered quite a few of the fatalities caused by roadside bombs in Afghanistan, but Frank said that while each death has been difficult, there has also been a rallying of support within the unit.

During the service, Trooper Brad Morrison said Hayes's death took him by surprise because his friend was so young.

"What is it that we remember when we think about Corey? I think everyone who knows him very well would agree with me on this: it was his sense of humour, his loyalty to his family and his friends, and his passion for his job," said Morrison.

He said Hayes would want people to be happy and not mourn.

"So when you think of Trooper Corey Hayes in the future, think of all the good times and the joy he brought to all of us. And most of all, think of the son and the friend he was and will always be."

More than 400 people filled St. Luke's Chapel for the funeral, with an equal number watching a video feed provided for an overflow crowd at another church on the base.

Earlier in the day, the funeral procession made the roughly 50-kilometre trek to the base from Minto Memorial High School, where Hayes went to school.

Led by two Coyote reconnaissance armoured vehicles -- the same type that Hayes operated -- the procession passed by his childhood home in Ripples, N.B.

"This is just the family's way of honouring Trooper Hayes, to give him the final goodbye to the areas he grew up in," said Lt. Brian Owens, a spokesman for the base.