Honoring Army SGT THOMAS R. MacPHERSON 10/12/12 SGT THOMAS R. MacPHERSON (26) USA/AFG LOS ALAMITOS – In a matter of weeks, Troy MacPherson saw his son make a dramatic transformation from a young man who wouldnt clean up his room to a soldier who was ready to become his nations guardian and protector. Put in the painful position of delivering his 26-year-old sons eulogy in front of hundreds gathered in the sanctuary of Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos Friday morning, he recalled the moment when Thomas MacPherson, then 20, announced that he had enlisted with the goal of becoming an Army Ranger. We were shocked and scared, the father said. But in the days and weeks that followed, Troy MacPherson, a Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy, knew that his son was destined for greatness. Tommy let us know that he was serious about this, he said. He got disciplined about what he ate, his workouts. He would fill his backpack with rocks and hike up Shell Hill in Signal Hill. Thomas MacPherson died Oct. 12 during a firefight in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan. MacPherson was a team leader assigned to Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash. He has been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart Medal. His remains were brought home during a Hero Mission ceremony at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Bases airfield Thursday, his wife Claudias birthday. A day later, Claudia MacPherson spoke at her husbands memorial service as she held their 17-month-old son Brayden. On stage was a memorial placed in her husbands honor. His helmet, dog tags and boots stood in front of his photograph. Im grateful for the little piece of Tommy that was left with me in the form of Brayden, Claudia MacPherson told the gathering of family members, friends, law enforcement and Army Rangers. He was 17 when they met and she, 15. She recalled snapshots from their nine years together. Senior prom, their wedding day when tears rolled down her cheeks and he had the most terrified expression on his face, the day their son was born and he named him Brayden. The most recent family gathering when Tommy smiled at her with chocolate-smeared teeth. Our baby boy will know how proud he should be to call you his daddy, Claudia MacPherson said, breaking down. Ill share with him the passion you had for what you did. Thank you for going through life with me, Tommy. Its been a privilege. His sister, Jessica Lozano, expressed her thoughts through a letter that was read by Pastor Chris Linkford. She described how her big brother gently nudged her to get over her fear of driving on the freeway. How he wore his Ray Bans even as he walked down the aisle on her wedding day – the last time she saw him. You were a born protector, Lozano said in her letter. And you died protecting us. My freedom now has a face. Its yours and the faces of all the brave men and women who protect us every day. Second Ranger Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Gregory Anderson called Thomas MacPherson an exceptional team leader who laid down his life for his comrades. ocregister/articles/macpherson-375884-son-day.html (DR)
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:44:09 +0000
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