A guy who went to school with my wife, lived close to us, and has several kids who attend school with my kids and a daughter on one of my daughter's soccer team was killed after being deployed to Iraq. He was killed in only his 2nd week there. I've been gone for 5 days and had no idea that his body was being brought back in tonight. I landed at Evansville's airport and immediately ended up at the tail end of a huge convoy and procession bringing Brock's body back home. Here is an article; I can't link to it, so sorry for the cut and paste:
It is a really sad time for many in my community, but it was nice to see dozens and dozens of cars waiting on the side of the road, many in the procession, and at least 4 fire engines with their ladders extended to meet over the highway with an American Flag hanging from them. I didn't think to take any pictures of the show of support, and am not sure if it would have been appropriate anyway.
Again, a sincere Thank You for all of our troops serving our country and willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for me to be free to sit here and type this after safely travelling extensively in the last 5 days.
Tonight local sheriff’s deputies will escort home the body of Evansville Marine Brock Babb, who was killed in Iraq last week.
Vanderburgh County sheriff’s deputies said Babb’s plane is scheduled to land in Louisville at about 8:30 p.m. The body will then be driven with police escorts to Evansville.
The escort will enter Evansville around 10 p.m.
Here is the route, according to Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Deputy Kelly Williams, who will be part of the escort:
The caravan -consisting of a county deputy, state troopers, motorcycle groups and vans with Babb’s family members - will enter town on U.S. 41 and head to the West Side.
They will drive on Tekoppel to Broadway, loop around Broadway Avenue to Ray Barker Parkway. Then they will drive to Forest Avenue and through the Reitz High School tunnel. From there, they will head to Lemcke Avenue and to the Lloyd Expressway
They will drive east on the Lloyd Expressway to St. Joe Avenue. They will turn left on St. Joe and then go right on Illinois Street, up 11th Avenue to West Franklin Street. The caravan will end at Pierre Funeral Home.
Visitation will be Tuesday at the National Guard Armory, with funeral services at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Boniface Catholic Church.
Babb, 40, had only been in Iraq for two weeks when he was killed Oct. 15 in Anbar Province. He was riding a Humvee when a roadside bomb exploded, killing him and another Marine.
He was assigned to Marine Force Reserve’s 3rd Batallion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division in Terre Haute.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and three children.
Vanderburgh County sheriff’s deputies said Babb’s plane is scheduled to land in Louisville at about 8:30 p.m. The body will then be driven with police escorts to Evansville.
The escort will enter Evansville around 10 p.m.
Here is the route, according to Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Deputy Kelly Williams, who will be part of the escort:
The caravan -consisting of a county deputy, state troopers, motorcycle groups and vans with Babb’s family members - will enter town on U.S. 41 and head to the West Side.
They will drive on Tekoppel to Broadway, loop around Broadway Avenue to Ray Barker Parkway. Then they will drive to Forest Avenue and through the Reitz High School tunnel. From there, they will head to Lemcke Avenue and to the Lloyd Expressway
They will drive east on the Lloyd Expressway to St. Joe Avenue. They will turn left on St. Joe and then go right on Illinois Street, up 11th Avenue to West Franklin Street. The caravan will end at Pierre Funeral Home.
Visitation will be Tuesday at the National Guard Armory, with funeral services at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Boniface Catholic Church.
Babb, 40, had only been in Iraq for two weeks when he was killed Oct. 15 in Anbar Province. He was riding a Humvee when a roadside bomb exploded, killing him and another Marine.
He was assigned to Marine Force Reserve’s 3rd Batallion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division in Terre Haute.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and three children.
Again, a sincere Thank You for all of our troops serving our country and willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for me to be free to sit here and type this after safely travelling extensively in the last 5 days.