hom e of the brave

A Country's Fight for Freedom HitsClose to Home

IAs thewar in Iraq continued, Liberty students showed theirsupport in differentways One popular waywas displaying magnets with phrasessuch as "Supportour Troops," "Prayfor our Troops" and "God Bless the USA"

Cormier embraces hismotherafter returning home from Iraq.Cormier spent a year serving in Kuwait and the Abu Gharibprisons

W hil e events inIraq continued to make headlines daily, patriotic spirit and support forthe troops on Liberty's campus was more intense than ever.With asubstantialnumber of Liberty's student body involved in the military, the possibility of friends, peersand roommates being deployed forwar was aconstantreality

Freshman Derek Cormier experienced thisrealityfirsthandwhen he was called up for active duty on February 9,2003 He returned toschool saying, "It is my choice tolivemy life without regrets.Spending ayear overseas was an amazing growth experience for me Ittaught me totrust Godin all situations, and tohave apositiveattitude.I am thankful thatI had theopportunity to serve inthewar."

Family andfriends made the ultimate sacrifice when they sent aloved one away toserve inthe military The sacrificehitparticularly closetohomefor Christina Whatley, a newly engaged Liberty sophomore whose fiance,Edward Crabtree,was deployed onJanuary 23,2005 Whatley and Crabtree,who had been dating for four years, decided to wait until Crabtree returned home from the war to bemarried.

Although Whatley was counting the hours until her fiance returned home, she was proud ofthesacrificehe was making."The truthis thatthere are many troops in Iraq whoare working just as hard as the ones whodon't make it back, and they deserve to behonored as well,"said Whatley.

Along with the sacrifice ofsending a loved oneto war came the possibility thatthey would never come home Liberty studentsexperienced the tragedy ofwar firsthand when Marine Sergeant. Jesse Strong was killed in action on January 26, 2005

Strong wasa Liberty alumnus who graduated in 2003 and was attending Southern Evangelical Seminary when he was deployed forwar. Friends who attended college with Strong remembered him asanRA onDorm 9 whowas excited to fulfill God's willforhis life.

"Jesse talked about being a Marine like heknew that's what God wanted him to do," said Kevin Conner, Strong's Resident Director. "Jesse wassoproud toserve God and his country through being a Marine, even ifit meant givinghis life."

On February 8, Liberty University honored the legacy that Strong left behind in a special memorial convocation. Strong was remembered for hislove of people and desire to serve Godin whatever circumstance Ina letter written to afriend in December, Strong bravely declared, "Remember thatI am bulletproof untilGoddecidesotherwise."

Sophomore Christina Whatley stands proudlywithher fiance Edward Crabtree Whatley, an on-campus student, used her door topostannouncements and prayerrequests for Crabtree and relayed messages ofhope and encouragementto him from her dormmates

-Submitted by Christina Whatley

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