Major James Rowe Cox, United States Army (Ret.)

James Rowe Cox was born February 16, 1938, in Marshall and passed, away, at the age of 72, at his home, on February 20, 2010.

Major Cox graduated from Marshall High School in 1956, attended Texas A&M University and completed his college career at Sul Ross State University.

Major Cox served his country in the United States Army and retired after 20 years of heroic, honorable service.  He served two tours of duty in Vietnam, as a helicopter pilot, and received numerous military decorations.  They include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star medal, 17 Air Medals, with V for Valor, and the Army Commendation Medal.

In his retirement years, he worked in the mortgage banking industry.

He was a lifelong member of the DAV, American Legion, VFW, 12th Man Foundation, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, Mortgage Bankers Association and Fort Hood Area Board of Realtors.

Major Cox was a devoted and loving father and granddaddy and he loved to fish at his fishing shack by the pond.

Funeral services were held on February 25 at the Sheppard Funeral Home in Copperas Cove. 

Major Cox’s flag draped casket was delivered, by hearse, to the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Killeen, where it was transferred to a horse-drawn carriage.

The carriage, followed by a United States Army honor guard and scores of family and friends, delivered the casket the last two hundred yards to the committal shelter.

Patriot Guard Riders had gathered at the shelter and placed 50 American Flags along both sides of the road.  They, then, stood at attention and saluted as the carriage arrived and the casket was moved from the carriage to the shelter by the honor guard.

The Riders then formed a flag line around the shelter as final services were conducted and full military honors were rendered.

A rifle detail fired three volleys of fire, representing Honor, Duty and Country, a Army bugler sounded Taps, and the flag covering the casket was folded into a tight triangle by the honor guard.   It was presented to the surviving spouse, by an Officer of the United States Army, on behalf of the Army and a grateful nation.

Major Cox was then laid to rest, under a bright blue sky, on the wind-swept grassy plain of the cemetery as the American flag flew at half-staff,  in his honor, on the hill above.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Jane, one daughter, two sons, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The Lord is my shepherd,  I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul.  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:  for thou art
With me;  thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  thou anointest my head with oil:  my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
The days of my life:  and I will dwell in the house of
The Lord for ever.

With thanks to the Killeen Daily Herald for biographical information.

Sgt. Clinton William Dickey, United States Army

Clinton William Dickey was born July 10, 1987 in Waco, Texas and died February 13, 2010 at his residence in College Station, Texas at the age of 22.

Sgt. Dickey proudly served his country for five years in the United States Army.  His service included two tours of duty, over the span of three years, in Afghanistan, having returned only last September from his most recent deployment.  He was a psychological operations specialist assigned to the 345th Psychological Operations Company, Airborne, in Dallas, Texas.

At the time of his death, he was a sophomore at Texas A&M University, majoring in microbiology, in hopes of one day becoming a doctor.

Just last month, his family and friends sat in the pews of St. Louis Catholic Church, in Waco, Texas, as he married his high school sweetheart, Samantha.

On Friday, February 19, they returned to that church for his funeral.  He was remember as being fun loving and charismatic, a devoted husband and son.

On the morning of February 19, Patriot Guard Riders gathered at the Oakcrest Funeral Home in Waco, Texas and rode in the procession from the funeral home to the church, delivering the casket of Sgt. Dickey for the services.

Those Riders then went to the veterans cemetery at Killeen and prepared for the arrival of the scores of family and friends.  Fifty American flags were set out along the road at the committal shelter, and Riders stood at attention along those flags as the procession arrived at the cemetery.


The Riders then formed a line of flags around the shelter as final services were conducted and formal military honors rendered by a United States Army Honor Guard.

A "platoon" of Non-commissioned Officers stood in formation to the south of the shelter in honor of their fallen comrade.

A seven rifle detail fired three volleys of fire, representing Honor, Duty and Country.  Taps was played by an Army bugler.  And, as the sound of Taps faded in the Texas Hill Country, the flag that had draped Sgt. Dickey's casket was folded into a tight triangle and presented to Samantha Dickey, on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army, by Brigadier General Katherine Kasun.  A flag was also presented to Sgt. Dickey’s mother, Beverly.

Sgt. Dickey was posthumously awarded the Army’s Meritorious Service Medal for his service to the Army and this country.


Sgt. Clinton William Dickey was then laid to rest, on a cold, blustery day, on the gentle slope of the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, as the American flag flew at half-staff, in his honor, on the hill above.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Samantha, his parents, Dale and Beverly Dickey, two brothers, a sister, grand-parents, and numerous dear family, friends and fellow soldiers.

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

With thanks to Oakcrest Funeral Home and the Waco Tribune-Herald for biographical information.

Jessica Johanna Hendrix, United States Navy Veteran

Jessica Hendrix was born March 3, 1980 at Fort Hood, Texas and passed away February 3, 2010 at a hospital in Temple, Texas.

Jessica graduated from Denison High School in 1999 with honors.  She then proudly served her country in the United States Navy.

Funeral services were held February 6 at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen, Texas.

On February 8 a funeral procession, led by Patriot Guard Riders and American Legionnaires, carried Jessica’s remains to the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Killeen.

The Patriot Guard Riders and Legionnaires formed a line of American flags at the committal shelter as military honors were rendered by a United States Navy honor guard.  Taps was played by a Navy bugler.  The flag covering Jessica’s casket was folded into a tight triangle by the honor guard and presented to her mother on behalf of the President of the United States.

Jessica was then laid to rest on the wind-swept plain of the cemetery as the American flag flew at half-staff , at the top of the hill, in her honor.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, her mother and father, two sisters, two brothers and many other dear family and friends.


With thanks to Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home for biographical information.

Richard Eugene Henry, United States Navy Veteran

Richard Henry was born September 27, 1936 in Martinsburg, West Virginia.  He passed away on January 21, 2010.

After Richard finished his public education, he entered the Navy where he spent the next 29 years serving his country through Korea and Vietnam.  He was a parachute rigger, cockpit specialist and training diver, responsible for the safety of many of the men and women he served with.  After leaving the service Richard continued to serve his fellow men and women as a civil service employee at V.A. Hospitals for the next 16 years.  He is a lifetime member of the VFW in both West Virginia.

Interment services with full military honors were conducted at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Killeen, Texas on February 4, 2010.  Present to honor this American hero were honor guards of the United States Army and the United States Navy.  Also present were the Patriot Guard Riders who formed a line of American flags around the interment shelter.

Three volleys of fire, representing Honor, Duty and Country, were fired by the Army honor guard.  Taps was played by the Navy bugler.  The American flag was folded into a tight triangle, by the Navy honor guard, and presented to the family on behalf of the President of the United States.

The urn containing Richard's ashes was, then, placed into a niche of the columbarium, as the American flag flew at half-staff atop the hill in his honor.

And, then the rains came.

Left to cherish his memory are three daughters, two sons and numerous other loving family and friends.

Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.



With thanks to The Gabriels Funeral Home for biographical information.

Alton Young, "grizzlebear", Patriot Guard Rider

Alton Young, known as grizzlebear to his fellow Patriot Guard Riders, was born May 12, 1950 in San Antonio, Texas.  He passed away January 31, 2010, at his home in Leander, Texas, after a lengthy illness.

Alton worked in law enforcement, construction, and most recently for the Texas Department of Transportation, Aviation Division for over ten years.  He loved the outdoors, hunting and fishing.  He especially enjoyed his annual trips to Terlingua with the guys.

Although not a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, Alton was a proud, dedicated member of the Patriot Guard Riders, Centex and Austin regions.  He was known as a gentle soul despite his “grizzlebear” moniker.

Funeral services were held on February 4 at Beck Funeral Home in Cedar Park, Texas.  Patriot Guard Riders formed a line of American flags at the entrance to welcome arriving family and friends.  A steady rain fell as scores of mourners arrived to say fair well to this fine man.

After the service, the Riders rode in the procession to the Fitzhugh Cemetery in Hays County.  Although the weather was cold and rainy, Alton “soared in the clouds all the way there”.

Alton was laid to rest amidst the oaks, deep in the heart of  Texas.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Vicky, his father, two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren, many other family and friends, and his fellow Patriot Guard Riders.

The Twenty-Third Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd,  I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul.  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness 

for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: 

    for thou art With me;  thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  

thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
The days of my life:  and I will dwell in the house of
The Lord for ever.

Photo of grizzlebear with American flag was taken on July 4, 2009 when he stood in a flag line supporting the right of a Navy veteran to fly the American flag at his apartment in Austin, Texas.


With thanks to Beck Funeral Home for biographical information.

Eddie Joe Sauls, Sr. United States Army Veteran

Eddie Joe Sauls was born September 15, 1948, in Temple, Texas.  He passed away on January 21, 2010 at his home with his dear wife Janie at his side.

Eddie proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971, including a 13 month tour of duty in Vietnam. 

After his discharge from the Army, he worked at the Olin E. Teague Veterans Hospital until his retirement in 1996.  He then worked at Chuck’s Bar-B-Q until he became ill on September 11, 2009.

He was a graduate of Temple College receiving an Associate in Applied Science in Mid Management.

Funeral services were held on January 30, 2010 at Greater Zion Temple COGIC, Temple, Texas.  Patriot Guard Riders were present to form a line of American flags to welcome the many family and friends.

On February 1, Patriot Guard Riders escorted the funeral procession as Eddie was carried to the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Killeen for his final interment.

Military honors were rendered at the committal shelter as the Riders formed a line of American flags in honor of this Vietnam veteran.  Taps was played, the flag covering the casket was folded into a tight triangle by the Army honor guard and presented to Janie on behalf of the President of the United States.

Eddie Joe Sauls, Sr. was then laid to rest on a gentle grassy slope, over looking the Texas hill country, as the American flag on the hill flew at half-staff in his honor.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Janie, five children, his mother, seven brothers, three sisters, ten grandchildren and many other dear family and friends.

Asleep

I’ve closed my eyes and fallen asleep
And there’s no reason for you all to weep;
This is a debt we all must pay
You will see me again someday;

I endured pain and sometimes sorrow,
Now I don’t have to worry about tomorrow.
BUT LIFE MUST GO ON.
You must not worry, because I am gone.

You all stood beside me all the way.
When I was down you knew just what to say.
You always told me to “get some rest,”
So let me sleep now, I’ve done my best.

So Please let me rest in peace.

The tears you’re shedding now,
Soon will cease.

You will soon realize this was meant to be.

I THANK GOD, I THANK GOD -
He came for me.

With thanks to Branford/Dawson Funeral Home for biographical information.