Honoring the fallen An article from the Crossville Chronicle by Gary Nelson
Under a sunny, blue sky and rising temperatures, hundreds of people gathered Sunday, Sept. 11, in front of the Cumberland County Courthouse and at the corner of Fourth St. and Main St. to pay tribute and dedicate Cumberland County's Post 9/11 Combat Memorial.
The streets were blocked off and closed during the ceremony.
The memorial is dedicated to those Cumberland County residents who have given the ultimate sacrifice to our county and country in combat post 9/11.
There are three service members' names on the memorial — U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Morgan W. Strader, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stephan Fitzgerald Dearmon and U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. Daniel T. Lee.
Families of all those honored attended the ceremony. "This is our way of remembering their sacrifice forever," Bill Ward, Cumberland County Veterans Service officer, said. Gary Strader, father of Morgan Strader, thanked the people of Crossville and Cumberland County not only for their generosity, but for respecting the memory of his son, 'this hero," and the other two heroes listed on the memorial.
"I thank you, Crossville, from the bottom of my heart," Strader said. Frances Lee, mother of Daniel Lee, said, 'When that knock comes at your door it feels like you've been handed a 30-year sentence of never hearing from your child again." She also thanked Crossville and Cumberland County for honoring her son's memory.
The memorial was made possible exclusively through the collection of donations from individuals in the community, businesses and nonprofit organizations. No public funds were used in the construction of the memorial. The county gave permission for the construction of the memorial at the county's Veteran's Memorial Park.
Members of the Post 9/11 Combat Memorial committee, Cumberland County Veteran's Assistance Council (CCVAC) and the county's Veterans Affairs office worked together to organize the project.
The CCVAC is not a county or government agency, but a non-profit corporation that sponsored this project for our veterans and county.
Ward explained the memorial project was the idea and inspiration of Andrew J. Benson, a Cumberland County volunteer firefighter. Ward said Benson came to him on May 26, 2015, and expressed the need to build a memorial to those Cumberland County combat veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice after 9/11.
An article from the Crossville Chronicle by Gary Nelson
More than 100 Cumberland County Marines gathered with their families and friends on Saturday to celebrate the charter ceremony and swearing in of the Sgt. Morgan W. Strader Marine Corps League Detachment #1467. Last January a small group organized and started the proseccess of creating a Marine Corps League in Cumberland County.
The Marine Corps League is a National Veterans Organization with more 'than 72,000 men and women, officers and enlisted Active-duty and Reserve Marines, honorably discharged Marine Veterans, qualified Fleet Marine Force Navy Corpsmen and Navy Chaplains. There are more than 1000 Marine Corps League Detachments
William Bryan Hudgins Jr. Vice Commandant, explained the first step was to get at least 20 Marines to commit to joining the detachment. The second step was to name the detachment. 'We wanted to name our detachment to honor a local fallen Marine. We chose Sgt. Morgan W. Strader a local Marine hero who was killed in action in Iraq on November 12, 2004. We were 100% in agreement to name our detachment after Sgt, Strader. Strader joined the US Marines Corps in July 2000 after graduating from Cumberland County High School He served with the 2nd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd
Battalions 1st Marine Regiment,
IstMarine Division, IMarine
Sgt. Morgan William Strader, 23, passed away Nov. 12, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq, Funeral services were conducted Nov. 21 from the chapel of Bilbrey Funeral Home, with burial at Hebbertsburg Cemetery in Crab Orchard. The Rev. Pete Scarbrough officiated. The Delta Company 4th Combat Engineer Battalion with Escort Major Jenny Parham provided the military honors of presentation of the flag, the firing detail and "Taps" at the cemetery and also served as pallbearers.
Sgt. Strader was born July 18, 1981 in Danville, IN, the son of Gary Strader and Linda Morgan.
Sgt. Strader was in the United States Marine Corps, on active duty in Iraq. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Survivors include his father and stepmother, Gary and Janet Strader of Indianapolis, IN; mother and stepfather, Linda Morgan and Timothy Kelley of Dumfries, VA; brother, Matthew Strader of West Palm Beach, FL; half-brother, Brian Strader of Indianapolis,
IN; stepbrother, Christopher Agnew of Indianapolis, IN; sisters,
Amber Trowbridge and Rachel Strader of Indianapolis, IN and Jessica Strader and Lonnie of Dumfries, VA; grandparents, Onza and Estella Morgan of Crab Orchard; and grandfather, William Strader of DuPont, IN.
He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Wilma Thompson Strader.
Bilbrey Funeral Home, Inc. was in charge ofthe arrangements.
Rank: Sergeant
Born: July 18th 1981
Theater: Not listed
Conflick; Iraq
Battles: Not listed
Awards: Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionay Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and National Defense Service Medal. Burial/Memoriai Location: Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial, Marseilles, LaSalle County, Illinois Location in Memorial: Pillar XXV, Top Panel
Morgan Strader was born Jufy 18, 1981, in Danville, Indiana, the son of Gary Strader and Linda Morgan. He lived in Brownsburg, Indiana, through age 14, spending time most summers with his grandparents, Onza and Estelle Morgan in Tennessee — fishing, hunting, and hiking the Cumberland Plateau. He moved to Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, in August 1995 with his mother and stepfather and enjoyed activities such as soccer and the Rod and Gun Club. He returned to the U.S. to live in Crossville, Tennessee in 1998 and graduated Cumberland County High School with the class of 2000. While a student there he was a very successful cross country runner and wrestler. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Crossville.
Morgan Strader joined the United States Marines in July 2000. He served with the 2nd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Ist Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. Sergeant Strader was serving his tour of duty in Iraq and was killed in action on November 12, 2004, while fighting in the second battie of Fallujah. He died while protecting his platoon and the convoy his platoon was escorting.
A memorial service was held on November 17, 2004 in Brownsburg, Indiana. Funeral services were conducted November 21, 2004, from the chapel of Bilbrey Funeral Home with burial at Hebbertsburg Cemetery in Crab Orchard, The Delta Company 4th Combat Engineer Battalion with Escort Major Jenny Parham, his aunt, provided full military honors at the gravesite. Additional memorial services held for him in Iraq, and California.
In 2005, under the leadership of Colonel Ailen Wetzel, the Cumberland County High School sponsored an Army Junior ROTC Company. The lead company was named the Strader Company in honor and memory of Sergeant Strader, Cadet Jonathan Annis of Strader Company assisted and compiled information used in this memorial. After several successful years, school administrators elected to discontinue the JROTC program due to budget issues,
On April 19, 2013, the Tennessee State Legislature passed Pubiic Chapter No. 482. in the text of the legislation at the bridge on
U.S.Highway 70 in Cumberland County was designated as the "Sgt. Morgan W. Strader Memorial Bridge" in recognition of the life of valor and death in combat of Sgt. Morgan W. Strader, United States Marine Corps, who made the ultimate sacrifice on November 12, 2004, while serving his country in Fa!lujah, Iraq.