In the days since the tragic death of their son, Sgt. Will McLawhorn, Willie and his wife, Diane, have received an outpouring of that love through the people of Conway, Northampton County and the Roanoke-Chowan region.
“The outpouring of support from the community has just been overwhelming,” Rev. McLawhorn said Wednesday afternoon. “Sunday night people were here almost immediately. We’ve received so many phone calls and messages of support, it has been amazing.”
Sunday night, a notification detail from the United States Army drove up at the McLawhorn’s home in Conway to notify them that their son had been killed in action.
“They didn’t have to tell us,” Rev. McLawhorn said. “When you see two of them drive up, you know what they’re there for. That was the hard part.”
Sgt. McLawhorn, 23, was one of six soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan Sunday morning. He was serving in the 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Brigade Combat team when he was killed in the line of duty.
“As a parent of a soldier, especially one in a combat zone, you know this is a possibility,” Rev. McLawhorn said. “Will knew that too. We talked about those possibilities.”
A standout student-athlete at Northeast Academy, Will McLawhorn played basketball and baseball during his prep career. He graduated from Northeast in 2005 and then joined the U.S. Army in November of 2006.
After being notified that they had lost their son, the McLawhorns were flown to Dover, Delaware to meet the plane bringing Will’s body home.
“That was a wonderful service,” Rev. McLawhorn said. “The Army was very good to us, they made all the arrangements, took care of us while we were there and then flew us home.”
While in Dover, the McLawhorns spoke to a three-star General from the U.S. Army and a four-star General from the United States Marine Corps as well as representatives from the White House.
“It was a very cold night when the bodies arrived, but they treated us very well,” Rev. McLawhorn said. “We have nothing but the highest regard for the jobs they do.”
Upon their return, the McLawhorns were greeted by ribbons and flags throughout Conway.
“When we got back, every telephone pole had a flag and ribbon on it,” Rev. McLawhorn said. “They put a wreath at the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Conway and they lowered the flag to half staff.
“Will bought a brick with his name on it as part of the park,” he added. “That’s been set up kind of as a memorial. The outpouring of support from the community has been just overwhelming – that’s the only way I know to describe it.”
The funeral services are still in limbo, but will likely be Saturday at Conway Baptist Church. At that time, Rev. McLawhorn said he and the family are anticipating a large turnout because of all the support they have received.
“Diane has a wonderful work family that has been so supportive and all of my pastor friends have been there for us,” he said. “Northeast and the other schools that Will played against have just been wonderful.
“We are deeply appreciative for all of the love and support,” he closed.
comments
"I do not believe war the most certain means of enforcing principles. Those peaceable coercions which are in the power of every nation, if undertaken in concert and in time of peace, are more likely to produce the desired effect."
"The evils which of necessity encompass the life of man are sufficiently numerous. Why should we add to them by voluntarily distressing and destroying one another? Peace, brothers, is better than war. In a long and bloody war, we lose many friends, and gain nothing. Let us then live in peace and friendship together, doing to each other all the good we can."
And perhaps the most accurate:
"I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind."
Perhaps if we followed this wisdom, this young man would still be with us.
And rest assured, you won't see my names in any headlines concerning physical attacks on the government. Though I strongly disagree with the direction the government has taken on many issues in the last 10 or more years, and I can see where the military SHOULD take action against its own government (after all, the Enlistment Oath swears a service member to protect this country from "all enemies; foreign and domestic"), I will not take arms against my government and risk the welfare of my family.
But I also would never accuse any of the brave me and women who do their job daily in the fight to keep this country free... or as free as our government ALLOWS us to be as the case may be.
Timothy McVeigh, the convicted Oklahoma City bomber, was also so very misguided by his poor understanding of Jefferson's words. On the day he chose to murder 168 of his fellow Americans, McVeigh was wearing a shirt that carried Jefferson's infamous words.
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