When the three black hearses come down the Highway of Heroes tomorrow, Wayne McVeen will be on top of Cobourg's Ontario St. bridge waiting to pay his respect to three more Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

He's held his Canadian flag and stood at the same spot, just above the westbound passing lane, for 87 of the last 97 soldiers killed in the conflict as their bodies make the 172 km journey from Trenton to Toronto.

"We're there for the families," McVeen told the Sun yesterday. "It's not much of an effort on our part to do it, it's more to be there."

Thousands of others are expected to join McVeen as the 98th, 99th and 100th soldiers to die in Afghanistan are repatriated, traveling in a convoy from CFB Trenton along the Highway of Heroes to the Centre for Forensic Sciences in Toronto. The flag-draped coffins carrying the three Ontario men were loaded into the C-130 Hercules aircraft on Kandahar airfield yesterday and are expected to land in Trenton around 2 p.m. tomorrow.

The turnout is expected to be larger as the convoy passes near the hometowns of Peterborough's Cpl. Mark McLaren and Keswick's Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson and ends in Toronto, the hometown of Pte. Demetrios Diplaros.

For McVeen the reason he turns out remains unchanged -- he feels it's the least he can do.

As the father of a soldier who served in Bosnia, he thinks it's important parents of soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan know Canadians appreciate their sacrifice.

"He came out of there with some really bad stuff and at that time peacekeepers weren't really thought of too intensely," McVeen said. "I'm there to support the troops, not the political side of it."

A small core of people have kept showing up on Cobourg's two bridges that cross Hwy. 401 but the crowds can surge to up to 200 ranging from youngsters to retirees like McVeen. It's that constant presence of firefighters, police, paramedics and average citizens that helped the stretch of road earn its name as the Highway of Heroes.

"I'm finding it harder to go myself because it's becoming more and more emotional," McVeen said. "It's someone's kid in that hearse."

When the group sees the convoy coming along that long straight stretch of highway, you "could hear a pin drop," on those overpasses, he said.

"It quiets right down," McVeen said. "And when you see people are standing out with their hands over their hearts, it's an experience."

On a Facebook group dedicated to Diplaros' memory, famiy friend Debrah Kelly called for the Scarborough Hwy. 401 overpasses to be packed for Diplaros' return.

"I hope everybody just fills the bridges," Kelly told the Sun last night.

Kelly has stood on Neilson Rd. overpass holding a flag before but tomorrow will be the first time the soldier's body passing below is someone she knew.

She watched Diplaros grow up in the Neilson Rd. and Sheppard Ave. E. area and wants to see people come out as they bring their son's body home.

"Demetri came out of this area and he did good things with his life, he was honest, he was loving and caring," Kelly said. "I just want people to know that there are good people that come from this area."

The City of Toronto will honour Diploros tomorrow by lowering the flags at City Hall and all local civic centres to half-mast.