A COMPLETE KID
SGT Courtland Kennard of Starkville, MS
Died in Iraq on November 9, 2006
A Complete Kid in Honor of SGT Courtland Kennard from Starkville MS
Courtland
Kennard knew what it meant to be in the military long before he joined
the Army. He was the son of a soldier. His father, Staff SGT Douglas
Kennard, spent 21 years in the service, carrying his family from
assignment to assignment. No matter where they moved, however, their
roots were always in Mississippi.
Courtland
was born in Starkville and went to schools all over the country. He
graduated from high school in Wiesbaden, Germany. Teachers and coaches
alike loved Courtland, citing his huge smile and dependable personality.
“He was a complete kid,” said his coach Jim Campbell. “He was our best
defensive player and a consummate team player.” Several of his teachers
recognized that Courtland had a strong sense of duty, and that he had
been deeply affected by the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Courtland
Kennard joined the Army in January 2003. He was deployed to Iraq in
July 2006. SGT Kennard was an MP (Military Policeman) On November 9,
2006, SGT Kennard was the lead driver in a group of four humvees when
his vehicle was hit by an IED. The blast critically wounded SGT Kennard
and killed a second passenger, Staff SGT Gregory McCoy. SGT Kennard
would die a short time later at a hospital in Baghdad.
His
loss was felt deeply by his family. His father was in his 21st year of
Army service, preparing to retire. His mother, Darlene Kennard, knew her
son loved the military and had heard from several people that he was
doing an excellent job. It came as no surprise to her, though. By age
14, Courtland had said he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. He
did just that by choosing to serve and sacrifice for his country. But
as much as Courtland wanted to honor his father's legacy, his father
honored and loved his son. "He was a great young man," Douglas Kennard
said. "I am going to miss him a lot."
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Courtland Kennard was the consummate team player according to his coach, and the team's best defender.
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