United States Army Corporal Matthew Britten Phillips had two weeks to go in Afghanistan before he could return home to Georgia. But on July 13, 2008, the Taliban ambushed and killed the 27-year-old and his eight brothers-in-arms in Wanat.
“It’s been almost 15 years,” said Phillips’ father Michael. “It really still hurts moving on but he’s our hero.”
On this Memorial Day weekend, Michael Phillips smiled fondly remembering his adventurous son, calling Phillips “a free spirit” who loved traveling, the army and his fellow soldiers.
Phillips — a son, brother, husband, nephew and cousin — is one of 22 soldiers killed in action and buried at Georgia National Cemetery. Their names were read aloud during a Saturday morning ceremony at the site.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
More than 1.3 million members of the U.S. military were killed in wars worldwide. More than 21,000 of them are buried at the national cemetery in Canton.
“Think about what the hero accomplished while serving, and what more that service member might have accomplished with a few more years wearing a uniform,” cemetery director Deborah Kendrick said to attendees.
Well over 100 people traveled to the cemetery Saturday to plant American flags at gravesites located on lush hills and marble mausoleums. The crowd included everyone, from babies in strollers to older adults wearing veteran hats and jackets.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Meanwhile, during the cemetery’s morning ceremony, several much larger U.S. flags waved in the wind amid a live performance of the taps military bugle call. Additionally, the observance ceremony honored the nation’s fallen soldiers with a Marine Corps League Detachment rifle salute.
The event also featured a wreath laying, speeches, moments of prayer, a live performance of the National Anthem, and a presentation of the flags by Sequoyah High School’s Air Force JROTC Color Guard.
Throughout the ceremony, Bryon Hall, a retired U.S. Navy chief and chairman of the Georgia National Cemetery Advisory Council, urged attendees to teach their children that America’s soldiers should be remembered honorably for unselfishly giving their lives to protect everyone nationwide.
“I witnessed firsthand the appreciation the families have for such a beautiful and sacred place to lay their loved ones to rest,” former Cherokee County Coroner Earl Darby said. “The generations to come can enjoy the safety and freedom and the land built by men and women who sacrificed, who put God and country first, and self last.”
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
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