The volunteer

Image courtesy: U.S. Army

While growing up in the Volunteer State, Spc. Jeremy Brown always had an ultimate goal in mind. He wanted to follow in his family's footsteps by serving with honor and integrity in the Armed Forces.

"I asked him before he left if he was sure, and he said, 'This is what he was meant to do.' He knew this was his destiny," said Denise Hill.

WSMV-TV reports that Spc. Brown joined the Army after graduating from Warren County High School three years ago. Deanna Lambert's article said he deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division four months ago.

According to the Defense Department, Brown was killed on May 9 at Contingency Outpost Zerok when terrorists attacked his unit with small arms fire. Before deploying to the war zone, the soldier was stationed at Kentucky's Fort Campbell.

News of Brown's death had an immediate, penetrating effect on his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee. As the small city honored its fallen hero, many mourners had a difficult time accepting one tragic reality. Brown, who leaves behind his parents and two brothers, was just two weeks from his 21st birthday when his life ended on the battlefield. One man honoring the volunteer warrior knows the horrors of war all too well.

"Unfortunately, it seems like it takes events like this to really see support from the community," said retired Lance Cpl. Eric Frazier.

Frazier remembers Brown from ROTC at high school. He also understands what making a sacrifice for freedom feels like, having lost his leg four years ago in Iraq.

"I got hit with an IED. It killed two others and injured three others," said Frazier.

Spc. Jeremy Brown was a 13-year-old boy when America won its first battle of the war on terrorism in the quiet fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Instead of watching from the outside, he grew into a man who helped win more battles against al Qaeda and the Taliban. While we wish this young patriot didn't have to shoulder the burden, we marvel at his willingness to be a true volunteer.