SC honors fallen soldiers

It’s a ceremony that everyone wishes didn’t need to be held and no family wants to be invited to. At a special luncheon Wednesday in Columbia, South Carolina honored the men killed in Afghanistan and Iraq last year with the 2009 Fallen Soldiers Ceremony.

Eight South Carolina men were honored. Lawmakers presented their families with a framed Concurrent Resolution from the SC House and Senate, the Lieutenant Governor’s Palmetto Patriot Award and a state flag that was flown over the Statehouse in the soldier’s honor.

Those who gave their lives in service to their country and honored at the ceremony were:

Captain Richard Cliff, Jr. of Mount Pleasant

Sergeant Shawn Hill of Wellford

Captain Garrett Lawton of Beaufort

Sergeant David Leimbach of Taylors

Master Sergeant Danny Maybin of Columbia

Staff Sergeant Ronald Phillips, Jr. of Conway

Staff Sergeant Matthew Taylor of Hanahan

Sergeant Adam Wenger of Mount Pleasant

In addition to the framed resolution, Palmetto Patriot Award and state flag, each family was given a book written by Miriam Leimbach, mother of Sgt. David Leimbach. Called “The Heart of a Warrior—Faith Lessons from a Fallen Hero”, she wrote about the commitment that these volunteer soldiers made.

“Taking characteristics that I saw in our son and I’ve also seen in the military people that have come alongside of us since he was killed, that I believe are a combination of characteristics that God purposely puts together to make a person willing to make that sacrifice,“ she says. “Not everybody can do that, but certain people are called to that. And it’s necessary as long as there’s evil in the world.  It’s necessary for people to stand up for right and for freedom and for justice and protect the values that this nation is built on.“

Ronald Phillips, Sr., whose son was killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq, says of the ceremony, “We hope we don’t have this next year. Not that we don’t want to honor them, but if no one’s fallen, there’s no one to be honored.“

The Concurrent Resolution includes, “"Whereas there is no greater or more courageous sacrifice a man can make than to lay down his life for a noble cause, as Staff Sergeant Ronald Phillips, Junior has done, and to honor his valor, Staff Sgt. Phillips has been named a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Palmetto Patriot Award.“ 

His father says, “It’s an honor that our son was able to serve his country in such a way. No greater love. No greater love. No greater love.“