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March 13, 1970 - August 23, 2004
A
loving father, a faithful friend, a dedicated soldier
I created
this page with the help of my children--Ty and Lani-- to
help them in coping with the loss of their father.
Though he did not live with us anymore, Darryl did his
best to remain in touch with his children, and cared for
them. My children lost a loving father. And I
lost a friend.
The Darryl
in this locket is the Darryl that I we know. He joined the Army National Guard
just as we got married. I was pregnant for Ty
while he attended Basic and AIT . He came home
just a few weeks before Ty was born. Then in
December 1990,
Darryl's guard unit was activated for Operation Desert
Storm. While Darryl fought in Kuwait, I was
pregnant with Lani. Darryl returned from the war,
injured. The war was rough on him, which made it
hard for us to be together, for him to be around his
children, and so we parted ways. In his new life,
Darryl remarried, had a third child named Walker, and
joined the regular Army. Though he was not
living with us, we were still a family. He cared
about us and kept in touch when he could.
While
stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado, he achieved Sergeant
rank before he died. Darryl died in a
car fire at his residence August 23, 2004 in the early
morning.
On the
night before he died , Darryl tried calling all his
children, but we were not at home.
Instead, he left them a nice message saying how much he
loved them This message is my children's last
words from their father.
The
Soldier's Grave
A shadow
falls.
A knock on the door.
A stranger speaks.
A tear falls on the floor.
Time
stands still.
The protocol done.
Two children cry.
Their father's gone.
In grief
and shock,
Plans are made.
Prayers are said.
Respect is paid.
Memories
flood
of the dad who was brave.
Twenty-one guns salute
the soldier's grave.
8Pam L. aka The Dragon Lord, 2004
Click to see more:
Pictures of Darryl
Pictures of the Memorial Service
in Colorado
Pictures of Darryl's flag and
medals
A Last Goodbye
Lani's Page for Fathers in War
The
song playing on this page is "Battle Hymn of the
Republic." The American Legion played this at his
funeral service in Houma.
Do Not take any of the graphics. The webset was
made from a picture of flowers used at Darryl's funeral. |