'A gentle giant'

Image courtesy: Facebook

To say that Sgt. Brandon Bury was an imposing figure is probably an understatement. Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and wearing a size 16 shoe, the Marines had to special order his boots and other footwear. Yet those closest to Sgt. Bury said that even after a brief conversation with their beloved Brandon, his commanding stature was overcome by genuine compassion.

"The funny thing is the way he carried himself, with his presence, you would think he could be intimidating, but he always had this air about him that you knew he was a friend,” his brother [Brian Bury] said.

The Houston Chronicle recently spoke to Bury's brother, uncle, and mom about the proud Marine's life and legacy. Lindsay Wise's article leaves no doubt about what the volunteer warrior meant to his family and friends in Kingwood, Texas.

"They thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed one another, and they were all so proud of Brandon, and they would all send him packages," his mother [Terri Bury] said.

The 26-year-old Marine had been requesting packages full of candy and toys to hand out to Afghan children. While always concerned for kids caught in the middle of war zones, his third combat deployment was a bit different since this was the first time he had two young sons at home. Bury's wife, Heather, had been caring for Cole and Cade in Oceanside, California, when tragic news came from Afghanistan.

According to the Pentagon, Sgt. Brandon Bury was killed on June 6 in Helmand province. He died alongside a fellow Texan, Lance Cpl. Derek Hernandez, as well as Cpl. Donald Marler. The Unknown Soldiers will have more about the lives of these two Marines, who were stationed at California's Camp Pendleton before their deployment, in the days to come.

Heather Bury spoke to KNSD-TV about her husband's extraordinary character.

"He always worried about others before himself and that was the man he was. He was the best man I ever knew, I feel honored that he was my husband."

Mari Payton wrote that the last thing Brandon ever said to Heather was that he was lucky to have her as his wife. We are also fortunate to have had this impressive Marine as a protector of our freedom overseas. Hopefully, numerous gestures of support for the Bury family, including a fund-raiser being held by Pat & Oscar's restaurants on Monday, will show his grieving relatives how much this nation appreciates their loved one's sacrifice.

The national outpouring recently reached the U.S. Capitol, when Rep. Ted Poe told the Marine's story on the floor of the House of Representatives. When Sgt. Brandon Bury's young sons are a bit older, they will be able to watch the below video on YouTube and know their dad was an American hero. Everything he did was for the kids, and they will grow up in a gentler world because of him.


Note: Donations to the Brandon Bury Memorial Fund can be made through Wells Fargo Bank. You can find the account number for deposits at the bottom of this page.