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...Unveiled November 23, 2008
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| Photo by East TN Patriot Riders. |
Clinton Permanently Honors Fallen Soldier
By
Jim Matheny WBIR.com
Nov 23, 2008
SEE VIDEO
Tuesday,
November 25th marks two years since a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq and killed Staff Sergeant Daniel Morris of
Clinton. Sunday,
the 23rd, his hometown unveiled a bronze bust that serves as a permanent reminder of his sacrifice.
The
bust was donated by "Operation Never Forget," which was founded by families and friends of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bust will be placed
on permanent display at the courthouse in Clinton. It was unveiled Sunday during an afternoon ceremony at the First Baptist Church.
Daniel's
mother, Amy Morris, said he had served seven years in the Army and one tour in Iraq when he told family members he
would not reenlist. Instead, he planned to attend Bible College in the state of Washington and become a minister.
A
couple of weeks later, Amy said she received a call from Daniel to say he had a change of heart and reenlisted for four years
with the U.S. Army.
Among
the speakers at the event was First Sergeant Michael Davenport, one of Morris' fellow soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division.
"I
was in the vehicle directly behind Daniel when the I.E.D. exploded," said Davenport. "This kind of closes out one little piece for me
to actually get to see the final bust [of Daniel] and talk to the family."
Amy
Morris said the event's success made her feel more at ease with Daniel's death.
"I'd
like to see the other fallen soldiers do the same thing in their communities because I think it really is an honor," said
Amy Morris. A video is included in the original WBIR story Original story is here.
Bust Keeps Memory of Soldier Alive
Group Pays Tribute to Fallen Clinton Native
By Bob Fowler KnoxNews.com Nov 22, 2008
CLINTON - Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Morris will soon forever stand guard next to the Anderson County Courthouse.
A bronze bust of the Clinton soldier killed two years ago in Iraq will be unveiled in ceremonies Sunday.
Morris died Nov. 25, 2006, when a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee in the Iraq province of Diyala.
The Clinton native was 28 and had just re-enlisted for a second tour of duty in Iraq. He had planned to
become a minister when he finished military service.
U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Tenn., will be the keynote speaker for the 2 p.m. ceremony Sunday in the
sanctuary of First Baptist Church, Main Street.
The life-sized bust of Morris will be placed on a pedestal next to the courthouse. It will be the first
lasting memorial in Anderson County to those who have lost their lives in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's also the first tribute in East Tennessee to a fallen soldier by a national nonprofit formed to honor
those killed in the wars. Operation Never Forget has the ambitious goal of funding bronze busts of the more than 4,300 military
personnel who have died in the conflicts.
"We want to make sure none of these people are ever forgotten," said Whitney Rogers.
The Maryville native and Morris were cousins. She is employed at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tenn.
She joined Operation Never Forget last November before there were plans for a bust in tribute to Morris.
"I feel that, if somebody is putting their life on the line for me and my freedom, the least I can do is
give back to them," she said.
Rogers said each bust, done by a Salt Lake City firm, costs $5,000. Clinton-area residents raised more than
$6,000 during a radio-thon last July, she said. The extra money will go to help pay for future busts,
Rogers said.
She said Morris' mother, Amy Morris, e-mailed advice to the sculptor as the bust was being created.
The bust will include a Stetson, Rogers said, "because he (Morris) was in the cavalry."
Morris was a member of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood, Texas. Bob Fowler, News Sentinel Original story is here.
...by Bobby, Daniel's Close Friend
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| Photo by East TN Patriot Riders. |
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Sunday was such a special
day....Operation Never Forget presented the city of Clinton and the family of one my best friends, the late Staff SGT. Daniel Morris,
a memorial bust/statue to be displayed at the Anderson County Courthouse
- I was asked to be at the ceremony to speak words
of encouragement. It was one of the greatest honors of my life
- It's amazing to see the outpour of love
from this community for it's hero and my best friend
- I wish that my friend Russell could had
been there. Daniel, Billy, Russell and I were inseparable...it would had been fitting
- As
I spoke, I had to choke back emotion...it was hard to follow "God Bless The USA" when we're singing it for your best friend.
Bobby is a pastor, father, husband and church planter. Bobby is the lead pastor of The Ridge Community
Church in Oak Ridge Tennessee.
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