Special service

Night of prayer honors fallen soldiers

Tables covered in blue cloth displayed picture frames of soldiers who had died that were also former Liberty University students and professors. A rose was placed beside each photo, along with the folded American flag in the front of the frames.

sacrifice — A memorial service was held to honor students who died while serving. Photo credit: Michela Diddle

Sacrifice — A memorial service was held to honor students who died while serving. Photo credit: Michela Diddle

Monday evening, Nov. 9 was a night of remembrance at the Prayer Chapel on Liberty’s campus for the fallen soldiers who have served the nation. The setting was intimate, with about 15 people in attendance to pay their respects and show gratitude for those who have given their lives for the freedoms Americans have today.

Former student Army Major Michael Donahue was remembered Monday evening. He was one of the most recent Liberty students to die in active duty, when he was killed Sept. 16, 2014.

Students such as Paige Hammack came to show their support for not only the soldiers who have died but for service members they know. Hammack’s brother is currently in the Marines.

“I’ve never been to a night of prayer before,” Hammack said. “It really hits home. It makes me feel like they need to come back home safely. I have so much respect for those in the military.”

She looked at the pictures of the fallen soldiers from the pews and said she knew it would be time for her brother to go overseas soon. Other students came to show their respect as well, such as Dakota Nixon, who is currently serving in the National Guard.

“I came to remember all those who have died,” Nixon said. “Showing your support is … as simple as showing up.”

The remembrance began with a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.

Steve Bozeman, a recipient of two Purple Hearts earned while serving in Vietnam, started the evening honoring the fallen ones.

“One of the worst things about war is to be forgotten,” Bozeman said.

Director of Engineering and Computational Technology Scott Pleasants spoke at the remembrance, sharing his personal experience in the military and memories of those who died.

He shared the story of those who gave their lives including his grandfather who died fighting in Belgium, working to defeat the Germans.

“Just like many of us today, we took an oath to defend something much greater than ourselves,” Pleasants said. “We honor our comrades, our friends, the people who stood on our left and right, the people who had our backs and could always be counted on. I challenge you tonight to remember those people and also to honor them by living a life for God and his glory.”

After Pleasants spoke, the names of fallen men and women were read.

The somber evening ended with the folding of the American flag and a goodbye to the soldiers.

Creekmore is a news reporter.

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