Brock Babb laid to rest

The church doors swung open, and all eyes shifted to a bare gurney in the lobby.

Seconds later, eight Marines entered St. Boniface Catholic Church, carrying a flag-draped casket with the remains of Sgt. Brock Babb. They placed the coffin on the gurney and wheeled it down a long aisle, stopping near an empty row of pews reserved for family and fellow Marines. The church, filled to capacity, fell silent, but only briefly.

Laughter echoed through the cavernous church Wednesday as relatives shared stories of pranks and moments that defined Babb's life. All week, Evansville learned about the selfless Marine who returned to Iraq a second time to train young men in the skills necessary to survive in combat. Babb was killed Oct. 15 by a roadside bomb in Anbar Province.

But now it was time to remember Babb in his teenage years, when - facing punishment from his parents - he was forced to sell his beloved truck. He hated foreign cars, so to rub it in his parents bought him a Subaru, said the Rev. Terry Gamblin, reading statements from family members.

Barbara Babb recalled an evening she spent on the back porch of her home with her husband. She was upset and Brock Babb was determined to boost her mood. With no warning, Brock Babb "stripped down naked and ran all around the backyard," Gamblin said.

It worked. She smiled. "He hugged me tight and said, 'I just wanted to see you smile,'" Gamblin said, reading from the statement.

Babb's sister, Nikki Babb Turner, said

growing up she was always known around town as Brock Babb's little sister. Fighting back tears, she recalled one of her brother's many pranks, this one involving a deer he killed on a hunting trip.

"I cried when he brought home his deer and hung it on my swing set," she said.

Babb's uncle, Frank Babb, gave a short speech and then returned to his seat. He stopped at the coffin and extended his hand, gently patting the American flag hanging over it.

Outside the church, Patriot Group Riders parked their motorcycles on Wabash Avenue and raised American flags. Pat Alspaugh, 64, joined a group of West Siders who walked from their homes to pay respects. Alspaugh's daughter, Julie, attended Reitz with Babb. Her son, Jeffrey, served in the Marines during the 1980s.

Although she disagrees with the Iraq war, Alspaugh said she is "110 percent behind the troops."

"My heart aches" for the Babb family, she said.

Babb joined the Marines at 19. After the first Iraq war, he returned to Evansville to raise a family. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Babb became a sheet metal worker, and coached youth football, wrestling and soccer in his spare time.

His brother, B. Jay Babb, 11 years younger, said Brock Babb loved to dance and never passed up a moment at a wedding reception to bust a move. B. Jay Babb said he idolized his brother. "I was lucky enough that I had three parents," he said.

When the funeral ended, Babb's casket was put into a hearse. American flags and red, white and blue ribbons lined the procession route to St. Joseph Cemetery. A construction crew working on an expansion at the zoo stopped and removed their hard hats as the vehicles passed. At the cemetery, pops of gunfire from a 21-gun salute rippled through the cool air. Under overcast skies, mourners crowded around a tent, where Babb's immediate family was seated. They were presented with an American flag, folded tightly into a triangle.

When the service ended, the flag was passed to Babb's youngest son, Levi, 8. He stayed close to his father's coffin, carrying the flag under his left arm like a football. At one point, a corner of the triangle came loose.

Staff Sgt. Tim Kosky, Marine liaison to the Babb family, noticed the problem. He crouched down to Levi's level and tucked the loose end into place.

Satisfied, Levi clutched the flag to his chest with both hands and walked away.

From the Coureir Press

Related Link:
Brock Babb honored by comrades

Related Link:
Brock Babb killed in combat