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Killed in action in Iraq
by Suzanne Rook, Wake Weekly Editor
Rodney Murray dreamed of working with children, coaching football, teaching school and eventually, he hoped, parenting children of his own.
Rodney's dreams were cut short when the Army Reservist was killed earlier this month while serving in Iraq. But Rodney's parents, Stella and Jack Murray and the 28-year-old's grandmother, Pauline Carter of Youngsville, say they're not bitter. In fact, they thank God he wasn't captured by Islamic extremists or killed by enemy forces. Rodney, who had just been promoted to sergeant, was reportedly thrown from the Humvee he was driving when it was struck by another U.S. military vehicle May 9. Stella, who grew up in Youngsville, says she talked to her son that morning when he called to wish her a happy Mother's Day. As usual, he was upbeat, she said. "I never talked with him ... that his spirits weren't the highest. He said what they were doing over there was making a difference," Jack Murray said. As a boy, Rodney loved to spend time at his grandmother's house. Every Sunday, the family -- Stella, Jack, Rodney and his older brother Aidan, who now lives in Wake Forest -- traveled from Hopkins in eastern Wake County to Youngsville for lunch. Pauline would be sure to fix something for everyone. Rodney's favorites were spaghetti and meatballs or turkey with dressing. After lunch, Rodney, Aidan and their cousins, Courtney and Ray Kearney, would run out in the yard for a friendly game of football. "He loved football," said Pauline, "since he was big enough to know what football was." He played football at East Wake High, where he graduated in 1994 before attending East Carolina University. A few summers Rodney worked at Captive-Aire in Youngsville. The manufacturer's short lunch breaks gave Rodney just enough time to get to his grandmother's for lunch where he'd fill up on grilled cheese sandwiches and western omelets while sharing stories about his day and dreams for the future. For years it was Rodney who mowed his granny's yard, no matter how hot it was or how insistent Pauline was that the yard work could wait. After Rodney met Amanda, the woman he married in December 2000, Pauline said their conversations centered around her. Rodney graduated from ECU in December 2002 with a double major in English and physical education. He took a teaching job at Ayden-Grifton High near Greenville, but after two days, he was off to basic training at Fort Stewart, Ga. He joined the Reserves, his parents say, to help pay for his education, never thinking he'd be fighting a war. But they insist he knew and accepted the risks. Stella and Jack say Rodney never complained about his duties and while in Iraq, began a Bible study with some buddies and a toy ministry for Iraqi children who had few playthings. He told them about a child named Misha whom he befriended and who once helped direct traffic for Rodney's convoy. Just days after his death, Jack got a letter from his son. "He said 'I'm in a very dangerous place.' He said he'd prayed and asked the Lord to shelter (him and his fellow soldiers). Please -- I believe he underlined the word please -- don't worry about me." Rodney always reminded his parents not to worry, that he'd be all right "even if he didn't make it, he'd be all right," Jack said, adding how much comfort that message gives him. Stella said the sadness comes in waves. Mornings, she finds especially difficult. "It's when I get alone or by myself (and) it just hits me," she said. Pauline often finds herself wanting to write her grandson a note. The reality, she said, "hits you like a bomb." The three take comfort in their faith, their belief that Rodney's really all right, just as he promised. "He told me he took great pride in serving his country," Jack said. "He enjoyed what he was doing because it was making a difference." His life, Stella said, "was too short for us, but he did what he was supposed to do. "He'll be very greatly missed."
Last Updated On: May 27, 2004
Copyright 2004 The Wake Weekly