Sergeant Gregory Owens Jr.'s Obituary
Sgt. Gregory Owens is survived by his parents Gregory Owens, Sr. and LaDonna Owens; two brothers Lamar Owens and Jonathon Owens; one sister Shelena Owens; grandparents Clarence L. and Erma Ware and Erma L. Gray and numerous friends and relatives. GARLAND SOLDIER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN REMEMBERED FOR HIS KINDNESS TO OTHERS By MATTHEW WALLER / The Dallas Morning News Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr. was scheduled to be home this weekend, on leave from Afghanistan. He decided to help a fellow soldier and swap shifts – and instead be stateside in mid-October to surprise his father on his 50th birthday. On July 20, Sgt. Owens, 24, of Garland, and three others died in the central eastern province of Wardak in a roadside bombing and attack. His family will hold a memorial service at 12:30 p.m. today at Restland Funeral Home. He will be buried at 2 p.m. Saturday in Mooringsport, La., alongside other family members. His sister, Shelena Owens, of Atlanta, said the shift switch was “just an example of how he sacrificed to put others before him.” The Department of Defense says an improvised explosive device detonated near Sgt. Owens’ vehicle. Enemy forces then attacked with firearms and rocket-propelled grenades. Spc. Anthony M. Lightfoot, 20 of Riverdale, Ga.; Spc. Andrew J. Roughton, 21, of Houston; and Pfc. Dennis J. Pratt, 34 of Duncan, Okla., were also killed in the attack. All were with the 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y. Ms. Owens said the family is keeping their spirits up by remembering the good times with their brother and son. “We’re being strong,” Ms. Owens said. She remembered how her brother kept her company the summer she had her appendix removed, staying through each day for an entire week. She also fondly remembered road trips the two took. LaDonna Owens, Sgt. Owens’ mother, said he excelled at “bringing joy to other people. He always put others before himself. He made time to spend with other people and to listen to them.” Sgt. Owens was born in Germany but attended high school in Dallas. His father, Gregory Owens Sr., is retired from the Army, and the family moved often while he was serving. Sgt. Owens attended Hillcrest High School and kept a full schedule. “He did everything to keep my mom busy 24/7: band, Boy Scouts, church,” his sister said. Sgt. Owens graduated from Hillcrest with honors in 2002. He was a drum major for the school and an Eagle Scout with Troop 709, she said. Ms. Owens said she will remember her brother rough-housing with his younger brothers and playing sports with them. Sgt. Owens’ mother said her son became “more loving as he grew older.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Sgt. Owens joined the military in January 2007. Ms. Owens said her brother was in high spirits about his military service when his family last saw him, Christmas 2008. Mr. Owens said the family was apprehensive about his son’s first tour, in Afghanistan, which he left for in January. “We didn’t like it, but we knew he had to follow the orders that were given to him,” his father said. Family members said they have been overwhelmed by the support since Sgt. Owens’ death. “People we don’t even know have been offering all kinds of help,” Ms. Owens said. They were especially thankful for the military escorts provided by the Office of Casualty Assistance. “They’ve done an excellent job. They’ve been extremely helpful and compassionate to our needs,” Ms. Owens said. In addition to his parents and sister, Sgt. Owens is survived by two brothers, Lamar, 21, and Jonathan, 18, both of Garland. IN HIS HONOR In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be mailed Sgt. Gregory Owens’ battalion: HHB 4/25 FA 3BCT 10th MTN DIV FOB AIRBORNE APO, AE 09354 VIGIL HELD FOR DALLAS SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION Reporting Jack Fink DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) Honorable, friendly, and loving; words used to describe a fallen friend. 24-year-old Army Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr. was killed in Afghanistan after he and three other soldiers came under attack earlier this week. Friends and fellow church goers came to pay their respects to the 24-year-old sergeant killed while serving his country. One of his friends, Kyle Bunch told the nearly 70 people who held a candle light vigil, “he obviously touched a whole lot of lives.” They gathered tonight at Owens’ alma mater, Hillcrest High School in north Dallas to share memories. His parents were too shaken to speak, but nonetheless touched by those who came. Family friend Barbara Davis says “we all knew him to be a loving, kind, and giving person. When we went to war, he still gave.” Owens’ life was stolen by an improvised explosive device that went off near the vehicle he and three other soldiers were in. Everyone who knew him loved him. Another friend from high school, Brandi Johnson brought pictures of Owens. She says, “I’ll miss him because he always made me laugh.” Ashley Graham says Owens was a true friend. “I haven’t spoken with him in a while, but he’s the type of friend you can start back up where you left off.” Owens was awarded the global war on terrorism expeditionary medal, but friends say he was proud to be an eagle scout, and was honorable long before that. One of his scout leaders in troop 709, Gray Powers, describes Owens as “just a quiet leader, and an older brother type figure.” Another scout leader, David Bailey said, “Greg was the Eagle Scout you pointed out to your 13-year-old son and say ‘that’s what you need to be.'” But Barbara Davis perhaps summed up what everyone at the vigil must have felt. “If we could all be half of what Greg was, we would be a better person.”
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