Defending freedom

Image courtesy: Facebook

Approximately one month ago, Lance. Cpl. Cody Childers' loved ones got some troubling news. While serving in Afghanistan, the Marine suffered a concussion in a roadside bomb explosion. As he nursed his injuries, which also included shrapnel wounds and a dislocated shoulder, all Lance Cpl. Childers wanted to do was get back out on the battlefield.

Hattie Brown Garrow of The Virginian-Pilot recently spoke to the Childers family about the Marine's life. Despite his daily duties as a machine gunner in a war zone filled with danger, Childers is described as calm and patient. The 19-year-old Marine's Facebook page lists fishing, hunting, and watching history programs as some of his favorite activities. Yet another interest on his profile particularly stands out: "Defending Freedom."

According to the Pentagon, Childers died in a hostile incident on August 20 in Afghanistan's Helmand province while supporting combat operations. The Marine was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. A Marine Corps press release said Childers joined the Marines about a year ago, and deployed to Afghanistan in June.

"He died because he loved his country and he wanted to make a difference," aunt Jayme Montague of Chesapeake said [on August 21].

In addition to his parents, siblings, and grandparents, Childers leaves behind his fiancee, Megan, who he planned to marry in May. The Marine was scheduled to return to Chesapeake, Virginia, from Afghanistan in February. In addition to helping plan his wedding, Childers was excited to get back to work on his 20-year-old pickup truck, which The Virginian-Pilot article said he affectionately called "Old Red and White."

Even after a terrorist's bomb nearly killed him, this young volunteer shook off serious injuries and returned to action. That brand of selfless resolve is not common among today's teenagers, and should not be overlooked. When thinking of the many years in front of him and the loved ones he left behind, wishing that he never left his hospital bed after the first attack is perfectly understandable. But Lance Cpl. Cody Childers was a Marine, and for this brave warrior, quitting was not an option.