04-25-04- It was one year ago Sunday that Jerry and Jane Dennis got the call no parent should have to endure. It was a representative of the U.S. military, saying their son, 19-year-old Jerod, was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan.

Sunday, more than 100 people gathered at the Sugar Creek cemetery in Soper, OK, where Jerod is buried, to unveil a monument in his honor. His younger brother and sister did the honors, revealing a 5-foot tall
stone monument that has an exerpt from one of the last letters Jerod wrote to his mother. It reads, "I am an American fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to lay down my life for my country. P.S. Pray for me."

At the memorial, there was singing and a salute by the Choctaw Honor Guard.

After his death, Jerod was awarded several medals for bravery and valor, including the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart.