Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

"To the McCormick family, I was a contractor in Fallujah and had the pleasure of getting to know brad. I am a former marine myself and he had a very positive impact on me and I think you raised a very fine man. I was very saddened by his death and went to his memorial as did some other guys I worked with that got to know him. I give to you my greatest sympathy and he will be missed greatly, its been years and I didn't know him long, but still remember him and cannot forget the fine young man for the rest of my life, thank you for raising such a fine young man, l pray for him and you."
John ELswick of cypress tx

"We still think of you!"
Jaime Garrett of Nashville, TN

"for nearly 40 years we had to suffer at the hands of ira rerrorists in Northern Ireland, I lost my Brother 28yrs old and a Father of two children aged 5yrs and 7yrs, now we see the terrorists in government in our country. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE, when you fight for freedom you must also fight for what is right and terrorism is not the way of the just. I sympathise with your loss and wish that American people could realise the suffering inflicted on the protestant community in Northern Ireland by the IRA and how they have helped alquieda to inflict the same suffering on your community"
Noel Baird of Northern Ireland

"”Honor and Remember” - “Project Compassion” We love our Soldiers! We love our country and we cannot express enough love and compassion to the families of our fallen heroes. War does not discriminate – It breaks our hearts to see the faces of the fallen. We want to give this gift to you. We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization! Over 1,750 portraits have been completed and shipped to the parents and or spouse - at no cost as this is a gift from one American to another!
Mothers of our heroes, please be aware that the Project Compassion sponsors will now help cover the costs of the portraits for you to have one - regardless if the spouse of the hero has one or not!
Contact us directly at Projectcompassion@manti.com or go to www.heropaintings.com . If you have already had a portrait completed, we pray that you are enjoying the portrait and bless You.
Sincerely and Respectfully,
Kenna
Project Compassion
P.O. Box 153
Manti, Utah 84642"
Project Compassion - Kenna of Manti, Utah USA

"July 3, 2008
To the family of Cpl. Brad P. McCormick:
Brad gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. "Some gave all."
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org"
Peggy Childers of Carson City, NV

"To Gail Mccormick,
I'm very sorry about your sons death in the middle east. I lost myunle there too but te one thing that i always remember, "marines die thats what their here for, but the Marine Corps lives for ever that means he lives forever"."
Carl Sanders of Monroe, Tennessee

"To Brad's family:My son Sgt.Joey Yadon was stationed with Brad in Iraq. "Ski" was Joey's room mate there also. It's taken alot out of Joey to have lost both of them. Please know that all his memories of both of them are good ones. I pray every night for all families of the troops...past and present. Our Father needs Good Marines also...."
Victoria Jones of Murfreesboro, Tn. USA

"My son's name is Brad McCormick also. He is only 9, but I hope he one day becomes a hero in his owm way. Like your Brad did!!!"
Crystal McCormick of Lakeland, Florida

"Dear McCormick Family
There is only one word i can think of that describes Brad, great. He was a great Marine and i was honored to serve with him. He was always there to listen to anything i had to ask him and he was someone i looked up to. There is not a week that goes by that i dont think about how your family is doing since his passing. I believe he embodied the spirit of the Marine Corp and i will miss him greatly. He was a Husband, Son, Brother, and most of all a Marine. He will always be missed"
LCpl Headley II of Tullahoma, Tn

"TO THE McCORMICK FAMILY FROM THE WAHL FAMILY. TWO YEARS AND IT IS STILL VERY HARD. HEALING IS A DIFFUCULT TIME. REFLECT ON YOUR MEMORIES, THAT EACH OF YOU SHARED TOGETHER WITH BRAD. HE KNEW HOW MUCH HE WAS LOVED, AND HE LOVED YOU ALL. HE IS RESTING NOW. YET, HE IS IN YOUR HEARTS. BRAD YOU ARE AN AMERICAN HERO! YOU WILL NEVER EVER BE FORGOTTEN. YOU ARE WITH MY GREGORY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR BROTHERHOOD TO HIM, I ASSURE YOU HE FELT THAT OF YOU.*************FOURTH OF JULY IN GATLINBURG TENNESSEE A PARADE AND FIREWORKS. i WILL BE ATTENDING ALONG WITH OTHER FALLEN FAMILIES. TO HONOUR OUR FALLEN AND TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! ************BRAD YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE IN MY HEART AND PRAYS. father of fallensoldier US Army Sgt. gregory L. Wahl KIA Balad, Iraq 05-03-04 God Bless!"
leonard_wahl@hotmail.com of spring, Texas

"As the daughter/step-daughter of Rick and Alberta Wade of Livingston, TN(close friends of the McCormicks) Brad's memory is constantly with me. He has been and will be missed by myself and my family. You are all in our thoughts and prayers."
Heather Farris of Murray, KY

"To the family of:Brad P McCormick I am so sorry for the loss of your love one. He died a hero defending freedom. May you have the peace and understanding that only comes from God. Prayerfully, we will meet in Heaven one day where we will rest in the arms of Jesus. If you need prayer or need someone to talk to, please call or write my pastor: Rev. John Pearrell, Gateway Community Church, 11677 Brown Bridge Rd., Covington, GA 30016. (770)787-1015. Your friend in Jesus Christ,"
Polly Ballew of Covington,Ga

"Over a year has passed since Corporal McCormick's passing & I still feel the sting of it. Fortunately, I'm able to balance those feelings of sadness with warm memories of a man that I was happy to call brother. He was a wonderful man & a phenomenal Marine. He will always be missed."
LCpl. Finis Dailey of Nashville, TN

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; atime for war, and a time for peace.
The day before CPL McCormick fallen, I was eating in the chow hall across from him. Life at the time didn't seem to real until we lost a brother. Brad was a hero before he step foot on the plane to Iraq. He did everything in his life to the fullest and gave his best at everything. Brad sacrificed his life so we can live freely. We have to bleed for freedom. God bless the family and Brad."
LCPL Allender 3/24 of Brentwood,TN

"Brad was a very kind person. I went to school with him at allons, and at LA. I feel so terrible for your loss and cried myself when I heard the news. God bless you and your family."
Kyla of Livingston TN

"My deepest condolences goes out to the lost of your son Cpl McCormick. I had the privilege to go through boot camp with McCormick. The first words he said to me were for encourgement as recruits we needed that from one another. He was the first person I always saw @zero dark thirty when the DI's would sound reveille. He was always sounding off I hardly ever seen him get in trouble he was always on top of things and helping others when they needed it. He was a true leader from the beginning. I will always remember the answers he gave the Battalion Comander during his inspection. Rct McCormick what is your MOS? He replied 0311 sir. Why did you join my beloved Corps? He replied "TO KILL SIR" I knew at that moment this man is bought in this world to lead.
PLT. 3062 Lima Co. Parris Island S.C. Goodnigh brother I'll join you one day PTing around those pearly gates.

dmerizalde@gmail.com"
Cpl Merizalde David Ret. of Brooklyn, New York

"I was Brad's team leader prior to transferring units. I was very sadden to hear of his death. He was always my favorite, I never had to tell him to do anything he always knew what he was supposed to be doing. He is greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to all his family and his many friends. He has truly left a lasting impression. God bless."
Sgt Michael D. Morgan of Springfield, TN

"Cpl McCormick was my fire-team leader while deployed to Iraq. He was a great man, leader, and I considered him my friend. He never missed an opportunity to make me laugh, but didn't hesitate to put me in my place when need be. I will miss him terribly."
LCpl Lee M. Jones, India 3/24 of Milan, Tennessee USA

"Courtney, Mr. and Mrs. McCormick,
Please have strength and knowlege of the love he had for his family, his country, his Corps. Most importantly, be assured in his love for his God! I will miss him terribly. I make it a point to tell everyone I meet of the life and service of this new angel!
Semper Fi!
Doc Owens"
HM1 Eric Owens of Nashville,TN

"Brad
You along with my son made the ultimate sacrifice.May I see you and Brent when I get to cross the threshold of Heaven's gate. Semper Fi
Mike Morel- Brents Dad"
Mike Morel of Martin Tn.

"Dear Son,
You are our true "hero" honey. We will always love & miss you so much. Brad, you will forever be in our hearts.Thank you for being our son & Blake's brother. Our greiving will never stop. As the song says, "Son, you make me proud." Brad - our son-my brother-our "HERO" WE LOVE YOU !!"
ranger1957@excite.com of Allons, TN

"Brad, I miss you Brother. I could hardly believe that God took you from us. You are an inspiration to all who knew you Brad and I will tell my children and grandchildren of your courage, valor and sacrifice. I will pray for your families healing and never forget all of the times we spent together while you were in my Delayed Entry Program. Rest in Peace Marine. We will meet again."
CWO2 BROWN, R.R. of RS LOUISVILLE

"Courtney,
I wanted to offer you my sincere condolences. My husband is a Sergeant in the Marine Corps and we are currently stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina. We are from Tennessee also.
I can only imagine what you are going through at this difficult time. Just from the articles I have read on Brad, I can tell he was a wonderful man.
He was taken away too soon, but he will always be with you.
May God give you the strength to cope with this tragedy. If you ever need somone to talk to you can e-mail me at: earlsgirl@excite.com
To Brad: Thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice! Have a great first birthday in Heaven. Semper Fi and Rest in Peace, Devildog!"
Sgt. Earl & Sarah Hurst of Parris Island, South Carolina

"Courtney and Family,
We are all so sad about the loss of Brad. Please know that we love you and we are here for you now, and always. You are precious to us and we will hold Brad in our hearts and you in our prayers."
Julie Miller of Rickman, TN

"I can not even imagine the saddness you must feel right now. My husband is in Iraq as I write this, he has been there since January.
I am so proud of the Marine that you loved and the sacrifices you, as well as Cpl. McCormick made for all of us.
I am praying for you and asking God to comfort you now and always.
God bless you, and Cpl. McCormick, thank you for the ultimate sacrifice. You will never be forgotten. From the bottom of my heart please accept my prayers and thoughts. We love all of you."
Gayle Taylor of Pickerington, Ohio

"We also suffered the same loss several months ago. May God be with you and may you find some peace. Brad is now patrolling the streets of heaven with our Brent and many other fine Marines."
Mike and Molly Morel of Martin Tn.

"To Courtney and CPL McCormick's Family,
My prayers are with you and I am truly sorry for your loss. Courtney if you ever need a listening ear I'm here! eebacon21@tntech.edu"
Erin Bacon of Colonial Beach, VA

"To the family and friends of Corporal Brad P. McCormick,

Those we hold most dear, never truly leave us. May you find comfort in love's everlasting connection.

In the Support section of this web site you will find links to many groups that support you at this crucial time. The Marine Comfort Quilt group would be honored to send a quilt to the next of kin. There are many, loving and caring Americans from all over the United States that will never forget the sacrifice that your loved one has made for our Freedom. Please register so we can send you our "Love Stitched Together."

Proud Marine Mom and Proud Member of Marine Comfort Quilts"
Sandra Moudy of Placentia, Ca

"Courtney,
I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and all of your family. I am here for you if you need anything. God Bless You!!!"
Shannon Davis of Cookeville, TN

"To CPL McCormick's family & friends you are in my thoughts and prayers. My family feels your pain and sorrow.To CPL McCormick thank you for your ultimate sacrifice for our country. You
will never be forgotten. You are an american hero.
The Widow of SFC ROBERT J. MOGENSEN
3RD SFG KIA 5/29/2004 Afghanistan
"De Oppresso Liber""
Tanya Mogensen & Family of North Carolina

"To Gail, Keith, and Courtney,

There is not many people that you can say was truly a good man. Brad McCormick was truly a good man. I remember him as always having a smile and laughing. I kept thinking at the memorial that he wouldn't want us to cry. He would try to make a joke to keep us from crying. However, if anyone ever knew Brad, not crying is not an option.

To Gail and Keith,
I hope that one day, I can say that I raised a truly good man. Brad was a man of honor. He was a man of humility. And most importantly, Brad McCormick was a man of God. I can say with a smile that I will see him again one sweet day. Those who knew Brad all now hold a special place in their hearts for him. Through proms, concerts, movies, passing in the hall or on campus, those are what we hold in our hearts."
Rebecca Rooker Case of Lebanon, TN/USA

"To the family of Brad McCormick;
My family also suffered this horrific tragedy, On 6-4-04 my brother, Spc. Chris Duffy was KIA in Sadr City Iraq. I feel your pain, and am sending my prayers your way. I can only hope that ou will also have the tremendous amount of support and love my family was shown, and is continued to be shown to this day.
If ever you need to talk, please email me.. njshoregrrl25@yahoo.com"
Rachel Duffy of NJ

"Corporal McCormick, goodbye soldier and thank you. You are my hero."
Bill of Houston, Texas

"Dear McCormick Family, We lost our Brad also and our hearts grieve with all of you this day. We know the depth of this pain you are experiencing and uplift you in prayer. Aunt of PFC Bradley Kritzer, killed in Baghdad, May 5th, 2004."
Laurie Miles, megsnana@hotmail.com of Coalport, PA

"To Brad's Family and Friends:

On behalf of the Blanco-Caldas family, we send our sincerest condolences. We share the same loss ... the same pain. Our prayers are with you in this most difficult time and we thank you for your soldier's bravery and sacrifice.

Sincerely,

The Family of Capt. Ernesto M. Blanco-Caldas, 82nd Airborne
KIA Iraq 12/28/2003.
Gloria Caldas (The Big Ern's Mom) of San Antonio, TX
gloria.caldas@banksterling.com"

"To the family of Brad;
Our sincerest condolences for your loss. Our family has also suffered the loss of a precious life in this battle for freedom. Brad is a true American hero and will always be remembered for his bravery and sacrifice he gave to our country. May God bless you and I pray you find some peace and comfort during this difficult time."
The McClain family--azquail@att.net of Tucson, AZ

"Thank you brave soldier for sacrificing your today for my children's safer tomorrow. You have our utmost respect and gratitude.
May G-d provide your family with comfort in their time of sorrow. May you forever rest in peace. Neither you nor your sacrifice will be forgotten.
A grateful citizen and a Proud Marine Mom, (purplelily219@yahoo.com)"
Lily of Wakefield MA

"Dear Brad,
Thank you for your courage. This world is so confusing and it takes immeasurable courage to walk into battle and face great fear. Men like you are truly symbols of the best qualities God has put into the people of this world. Your death is a great tragedy but all is not lost, for you died fighting and doing the right thing. Thank you Brad for being so courageous."
mark reif of winchester, VA

"Brad was a very dear friend of mine. I was in class with him from 3rd grade and he was always a wonderful person. He was happy and cheerful. He would make you laugh and make you feel good. He made the world a better place by being in it. He has paid the ultimate cost to keep the U.S. safe. That's the way he lived his life, he gave his all. He was a very kind, generous, caring and loving person.He was proud to be a Marine and proud to serve his country. I will always remember the great times we shared. Thank you Brad for all that you have done so that we can be safe. You will forever be missed."
Toni (Sells) Ferrell of Allons, TN

"We Will NEVER FORGET !"
Please KNOW so many people share your sadness, and we are remembering your family in your loss and your deep grief. Your HERO, Brad will be remembered by name. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. God Bless you. Pat & Sandi Breckenridge from Montana "

"To Brad's Family:
There are no words to express the sorrow we feel for your loss. May God bless you and help you through this time."
Dan and Meg Manninen of San Antonio, Texas

"I am so sorry for your loss of Brad. Please know that you have my deepest sympathies and prayers. I also share your loss. My Fiancee Spc Shawn Davies lossed his life in Iraq on 7-8-04 he was 22. I hope that you may find some comfort in God in this most difficult time and remember your memories will forever be etched in your heart's. God Bless."
Autum Shingler... ashingler09@yahoo.com of Aliquippa, Pa

"Thank you brave soldier for sacrificing your today for my children's safer tomorrow. You have our utmost respect and gratitude. May God provide your family with comfort in their time of sorrow. May you forever rest in Heavenly peace. Neither you nor your sacrifice will be forgotten. For the family/friends: May time provide happy, loving memories in place of present sorrows. Look to the sky for in the infinite meadows of Heaven the bright shining stars bloom....the forget-me-nots of angels. God bless you and thank you."
a grateful family in Phoenix, AZ

"I am so sorry for your loss. Your husband, son, and brother gave the ultimate sacrifice and I will be forever grateful to him. My heart and prayers are with you."
Amy McCready of Cookeville, TN

"To Courtney and CPL McCormick's family,
I lift you all up in prayer as I ask God to give you strength and understanding.
As a Marine Mom, I know the worry and the fear of having a son fight this war. Your worry is over and your fear should be gone, replace it with pride and joy knowing your husband, your son has went on to be with God and he faught and died for what he knew was right. he is the Ultimate Hero, He gave his all, I am very proud of CPL McCormick, he will always be my hero!
We honor all our Hero's from Tennesee on our web page. www.putnamcountysoldiersupport.com under "those who gave all"
God Speed CPL and Thank You Sir !
God Bless This Family"
Lisa Bishop of Cookeville

"Thank you Brad McCormick, you will not be forgotten. Your bravery goes beyond words. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. To the family and friends, my prayers and deep condolences in your loss. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. God bless you all. A very appreciative fellow American,"
Leo Titus of Grayslake, Illinios

"To the family and friends of Cpl. Brad McCormick:
May God's grace be with you during your time of grief. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and we feel your loss and share in your sorrow. Bless Brad for the sacrifice he has made to make a better life for the rest of us."
The Ford Family of Wells, Nevada

"To the family and friends of Cpl. Brad McCormick:
I am saddened by the loss of your loved one. He will always be remembered as a hero for fighting for freedom. I hope that this website will be a source of comfort and encouragement for you during this difficult time, and in the future as you recall the memories of Brad, who continues to live on in your heart."
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia