Army Spc. Robert T. Hendrickson

Died February 1, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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24, of Broken Bow, Okla.; assigned to the 2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Feb. 1 when his military vehicle overturned in Baghdad.

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Broken Bow man latest Oklahoman to die in Iraq war

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Dave Hendrickson looked forward to reuniting with his son, Spc. Robby Taylor Hendrickson, when the younger Hendrickson returned home from Iraq next month.

Their reunion will now be for Robby Hendrickson’s funeral.

Hendrickson, 24, of Broken Bow, died Tuesday after being injured when the military vehicle he was driving hit a barrier and toppled over. He lost consciousness after the crash and never recovered, family members said.

Robby Hendrickson had been in Iraq about a year at the time of the accident. He earned a Purple Heart last year after a mortar hit near where he was standing, sending shrapnel flying toward his face.

He leaves behind his parents, Dave Hendrickson and Pamela Herrington; his sister, Krystal Bonner; and a 6-year-old son, Dylan.

“He was a good dad,” Dave Hendrickson said. “He did his best to do whatever he could for his son. He loved Dylan more than anything.”

Hendrickson prepared for his death. When he left for his deployment last year, he left behind the marksman and cavalry patches he had earned so his family would have something to remember him by.

He also decided what type of funeral service he would prefer, even selecting the songs to be played at his memorial.

Robby Hendrickson last traded Internet messages with his father on Sunday, saying he looked forward to going camping and doing other “guy stuff” with his father and son.

Dave Hendrickson said he would make sure his grandson grows up to know the kind of person his father was.

Robby Hendrickson attended high school in Del City and in Edmond before moving with his mother to Broken Bow. Dave Hendricksen says his son planned to return to school when he got back to Oklahoma and study to become a pediatric nurse.

Robby Hendrickson was a Philadelphia Eagles fan and planned to watch their Super Bowl match-up with New England, and instant message his father over the Internet, the elder Hendrickson said.

“If I can make it happen, Dylan and I are going to watch the Super Bowl for his dad,” Dave Hendrickson said.

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Oklahoma soldier killed in Iraq buried

BROKEN BOW, Okla. — An Oklahoma soldier died in Iraq to help the people there gain freedom, his father said Wednesday.

Family and friends gathered at a private funeral to pay their final respects to Spc. Robby Taylor Hendrickson, 24.

Hendrickson died Feb. 1 in Baghdad when the military vehicle he was driving hit a barrier and toppled over. He lost consciousness after the accident and did not recover, his family said.

Hendrickson’s father, Dave, said his son will be remembered as a hero.

“He died to help the Iraqi people achieve their freedom,” Dave Hendrickson said. “He died for the Iraqi people and the war against terrorism so that his son might have a safer world to live in.”

After the service, family members gathered in front of the funeral home as Robby Hendrickson’s flag-draped casket was brought out. A military honor guard fired their rifles in tribute, and a bugler played ‘Taps’. A military official presented folded American flags to the soldier’s family.

Robby Hendrickson had been in Iraq about a year with his Fort Hood, Texas-based unit. He told family he was scheduled to return home within a month.

Dave Hendrickson said his son looked forward to spending time with his own 6-year-old son, Dylan.

“He loved Dylan more than anything,” he said. “My son was a good boy. He was a good man. He was a good dad.”

Hendrickson also is survived by his mother, Pamela Herrington, and a sister, Krystal Bonner.

— Associated Press