Army Pfc. James J. Harrelson

Died July 17, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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19, of Dadeville, Ala.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died July 17 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.

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Family: 19-year-old Dadeville soldier killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

DADEVILLE, Ala. — A 19-year-old soldier from Dadeville who recently arrived in Iraq was killed by a roadside bomb, his family said July 18.

Pfc. James Jacob Harrelson, who was known to friends and family as “Spanky,” was killed by an IED July 17 while driving a Humvee in a convoy as part of the Army’s 1st Infantry Battalion, his parents said. They said they were not told where in Iraq their son was killed.

Harrelson’s family said anyone who met him instantly became his friend, an Alexander City newspaper, The Outlook, reported.

“He didn’t have an enemy,” said Christopher Baker, Harrelson’s older brother.

Tammy Kinney, Harrelson’s mother, who now lives in Alexander City, said her son joined the Army right after he graduated from Dadeville High School in 2006 and had been in Iraq since May.

“He wanted to continue his education and serve his country,” she said.

Dadeville High School football coach Richard White told the newspaper Harrelson always had a smile on his face.

“If things weren’t going good he would cheer you up,” White said. “It’s really sad. I’m going to miss that smile. He brought a smile with him when he walked. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

White said Harrelson talked to him about the future toward the end of the 2006 school year.

“He thought he would join the military,” White said. “That was probably a good choice at the time since he needed financial help to go to college. Now, looking back, it may not have been a good choice.”

Kinney said she supported her son but was not enthusiastic about his decision to fight in Iraq. Baker, who had already served in Iraq as a Marine sergeant, also opposed his brother’s decision.

“I tried to tell him what it was like but he told me he could handle it,” Baker said. “He just thought it was right.”

Kinney said her son hadn’t made specific plans for the future but that he knew he wanted to live on Lake Martin and have children.

Plans for Harrelson’s funeral have not yet been announced.

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Funeral held for Dadeville soldier killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

DADEVILLE, Ala. — Hundreds of people came together in Dadeville and Alexander City on July 27 to remember Pfc. James Jacob “Spanky” Harrelson, who was killed last week in Iraq.

“Today I represent the secretary of the Army, but even bigger than that, I stand as a representative of the more than 1 million who wear the uniform of the U.S. military,” said Brig. Gen. Brian Collins. “Today we are grieving because a friend, a fellow soldier, is being laid to rest.”

During the funeral service at the First Baptist Church of Dadeville, Collins said Harrelson had been awarded both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

“Today I have the awesome responsibility and privilege to present the family with these awards,” Collins said. “These are but a small token of appreciation of a grateful nation.”

Harrelson, 19, died July 17 in Baghdad from wounds he received when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb. He had been serving in Iraq since May. He served with the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan.

“He was always wanting to be a part of things and to help,” said Rev. Ken Griffith, Harrelson’s former pastor who knew him as a child.

Harrelson’s brother, Christopher Baker, who served a tour in Iraq as a sergeant with the Marines, said his family was deeply saddened at the loss of their loved one, but was also proud that his brother gave his life in the service of his country.

“He considered it his duty,” Baker said. “He believed in serving his country.”

Friends and family gathered for the burial at Hillview Memorial Park in Alexander City, which was also attended by more than 20 Patriot Guard Riders on their motorcycles.