thedrifter
02-05-08, 09:52 AM
Feb 4, 2008
FALLEN WARRIOR: Family, friends held Athens gunner in high regard
By Jane Self
Special to The Tuscaloosa News
To his big sister, Amber, Adam Eugene Loggins was affectionately called “Bubba Gene” when they were young children growing up in Huntsville. And she wouldn’t let anybody mess with him.
But to his fellow Marines, Lance Cpl. Adam Loggins, was called the “old man,” partly because he was a few years older than most Marines when he joined in January 2006 at the age of 26. But the nickname came mostly from Loggins’ maturity that gave him a more experienced view on life than the younger Marines. They looked up to him as a big brother and a great man.
Deployed to Iraq in January 2007 with L Company, Third Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment out of Camp LeJeune, N.C., Loggins was killed in action on April 26, 2007. He was a couple of months shy of turning 28.
Loggins spent his days in the turret of a Humvee where he provided security for his “little brothers” on the ground. He excelled at the role, said fellow Marines at a memorial service in Iraq on May 3.
“My eternal memory of Lance Cpl. Loggins is of him in his turret behind his [machine gun] smiling,” Capt Ryan J. Erisman, the commanding officer of L Company, said at the service. “The combination was both awe-inspiring and deadly. A 240-pound Marine behind a 104-pound gun on top of a 40,000-pound truck. From his truck 15 feet in the air, Lance Cpl. Loggins literally had our backs and was watching over our shoulders. Another Marine now rides in that turret; however Adam Loggins’ spirit remains.”
Loggins’ father, Danny Loggins, was so proud of his son that he wore his son’s combat boots to a Huntsville City Council meeting when he was appointed fire chief three weeks before his son was killed. He said he hoped to be man enough to fill them. Younger brother, Josh Loggins, was so proud of his brother that he followed his lead and joined the Army a few months after his brother joined the Marines. He is now stationed in Hawaii.
In a statement to the media shortly after the family learned of Adam Loggins’ death, Danny Loggins said his son was always ready for a challenge and that the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, had changed him.
“Adam could not understand why this happened and wanted to be part of the solution,” Danny Loggins said in the statement. “We talked a great deal and in great depth about the decision to join the Marines. I resisted this decision and tried to delay the process. During our last talks, he told me that he would not be able to live with himself if he did not do this. He did not want to look back at his life and wish he had done something.”
From that point, the father said he supported his son’s decision and told him to be the best Marine the country had ever seen. And while Adam Loggins assured his father he would be OK when he got deployed, he told his best friend, Ben King, he would never see him again.
Though he spent most of his childhood in Huntsville, Adam Loggins transferred to East Limestone High School in Athens when the family moved there and graduated in 1997. He was engaged to Brandy Heath, planning to marry her when he returned in August. Amber Loggins actually postponed her wedding until her brother could come home, hoping they could all celebrate together.
Heath told the Athens News Courier that Adam Loggins had talked of taking a fishing trip to Florida when he first came home, then going back to North Carolina for their wedding. But he knew there was a possibility something could happen.
In his statement, Danny Loggins said his son had “magical blue eyes and a smile that would dim the sun.” He also said his son had seen a lot in his short life.
“He packed a lot of living in his 27 years and brought joy to his family and friends,” he said.
Danny and Becky Loggins were presented the Purple Heart for their son during his funeral service. Other decorations Adam Loggins received included the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
“I’m so proud of what he did,” Danny Loggins said during the funeral. “He paid the ultimate price. My son and other families are paying the check we’ve all written. People need to be more aware of the sacrifices going on.”
Reach Jane Self at jane@janeself.com or at 205-633-0932.
Ellie
FALLEN WARRIOR: Family, friends held Athens gunner in high regard
By Jane Self
Special to The Tuscaloosa News
To his big sister, Amber, Adam Eugene Loggins was affectionately called “Bubba Gene” when they were young children growing up in Huntsville. And she wouldn’t let anybody mess with him.
But to his fellow Marines, Lance Cpl. Adam Loggins, was called the “old man,” partly because he was a few years older than most Marines when he joined in January 2006 at the age of 26. But the nickname came mostly from Loggins’ maturity that gave him a more experienced view on life than the younger Marines. They looked up to him as a big brother and a great man.
Deployed to Iraq in January 2007 with L Company, Third Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment out of Camp LeJeune, N.C., Loggins was killed in action on April 26, 2007. He was a couple of months shy of turning 28.
Loggins spent his days in the turret of a Humvee where he provided security for his “little brothers” on the ground. He excelled at the role, said fellow Marines at a memorial service in Iraq on May 3.
“My eternal memory of Lance Cpl. Loggins is of him in his turret behind his [machine gun] smiling,” Capt Ryan J. Erisman, the commanding officer of L Company, said at the service. “The combination was both awe-inspiring and deadly. A 240-pound Marine behind a 104-pound gun on top of a 40,000-pound truck. From his truck 15 feet in the air, Lance Cpl. Loggins literally had our backs and was watching over our shoulders. Another Marine now rides in that turret; however Adam Loggins’ spirit remains.”
Loggins’ father, Danny Loggins, was so proud of his son that he wore his son’s combat boots to a Huntsville City Council meeting when he was appointed fire chief three weeks before his son was killed. He said he hoped to be man enough to fill them. Younger brother, Josh Loggins, was so proud of his brother that he followed his lead and joined the Army a few months after his brother joined the Marines. He is now stationed in Hawaii.
In a statement to the media shortly after the family learned of Adam Loggins’ death, Danny Loggins said his son was always ready for a challenge and that the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, had changed him.
“Adam could not understand why this happened and wanted to be part of the solution,” Danny Loggins said in the statement. “We talked a great deal and in great depth about the decision to join the Marines. I resisted this decision and tried to delay the process. During our last talks, he told me that he would not be able to live with himself if he did not do this. He did not want to look back at his life and wish he had done something.”
From that point, the father said he supported his son’s decision and told him to be the best Marine the country had ever seen. And while Adam Loggins assured his father he would be OK when he got deployed, he told his best friend, Ben King, he would never see him again.
Though he spent most of his childhood in Huntsville, Adam Loggins transferred to East Limestone High School in Athens when the family moved there and graduated in 1997. He was engaged to Brandy Heath, planning to marry her when he returned in August. Amber Loggins actually postponed her wedding until her brother could come home, hoping they could all celebrate together.
Heath told the Athens News Courier that Adam Loggins had talked of taking a fishing trip to Florida when he first came home, then going back to North Carolina for their wedding. But he knew there was a possibility something could happen.
In his statement, Danny Loggins said his son had “magical blue eyes and a smile that would dim the sun.” He also said his son had seen a lot in his short life.
“He packed a lot of living in his 27 years and brought joy to his family and friends,” he said.
Danny and Becky Loggins were presented the Purple Heart for their son during his funeral service. Other decorations Adam Loggins received included the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
“I’m so proud of what he did,” Danny Loggins said during the funeral. “He paid the ultimate price. My son and other families are paying the check we’ve all written. People need to be more aware of the sacrifices going on.”
Reach Jane Self at jane@janeself.com or at 205-633-0932.
Ellie