By Staff
Marine Lance Corporal Jonathan Smith of Eva killed while on a mission in Iraq
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A 22-year-old graduate of A.P. Brewer High School, Jonathan is the first Morgan County casualty of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Brewer Principal Francis Couey said Jonathan was "a very good student, smart, well-behaved, kind of quiet. He played in the band for two years and was enrolled in the Distributive Education program for a couple of years.
Jonathan was employed part-time by Taco Bell and Wal-Mart in Hartselle as a junior and senior and during the summer following his graduation.
Jonathan arrived in Iraq last February as a member of Bravo Company, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. His unit was deployed from Camp LeJeune N.C.
and was scheduled to return to the states after eight months.
The Smiths last heard from their son two weeks before he was killed.
Garry said he had a telephone conversation with his son about two weeks ago after he had returned to Camp Fallujah following a mission that involved traveling to various parts of Iraq.
urged him to keep his head up and keep an eye out for the enemy. He told me not to worry because he was trained to do that," he added.
Garry said his son was visibly shaken by the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
He added, "When he was put on orders to go to Iraq he called to let us know he was coming home on a 10-day leave. He wanted to know if we could take some time off, and we gladly agreed. We hung out around the house most of the time…cooking, eating, playing and watching the big screen TV.
Jonathan's body was flown from Iraq to Dover, Del. and then to the Birmingham Airport. From there it was transported by hearse under military escort to Cullman Heritage Funeral home.
A funeral service with full military honors was conducted on Monday at 11 a.m. Burial was in the adjoining cemetery.