Derek Jones laid to rest

A caring father and husband who put family first. A loyal friend who always made people laugh. A proud Marine.

That's how many remembered Marine Lance Cpl. Derek Jones on Saturday as they said goodbye to one of Salem's own.

"He is the biggest hero," said Cindy Beard, a close friend of Derek's mother, Laurie Hadden. "He is just a hero."

Hundreds of friends, family, servicemen and others filled the pews of Salem Evangelical Church to pay their respects to Derek, who was killed in Iraq two weeks ago. The 21-year-old Marine was laid to rest at Restlawn Cemetery in Salem.

"It's a privilege for us to be able to remember Derek's life today and to know that he served his country with honor and with dignity," Pastor Randy Butler said to a solemn crowd that included Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Rep. Darlene Hooley. "But ... before he was in the military, he was a son, he was a brother and he (was) a husband to a precious wife."

Speaker after speaker, friend after friend described Derek as a funny guy who always had a good time. He loved the outdoors, had a dry sense of humor and was the glue that held groups of friends together, his wife, Pamela, said through a written tribute read by Butler.

"Derek always had a smile on his face, quick with a joke," his mother wrote in her tribute. "He had a contagious laugh."

And like he often did in life, Derek -- through other's memories of him -- brought laughter to others Saturday. Derek's great uncle Scott shared stories about the times the two spent together in California, when Derek was in basic training at Camp Pendleton. He told the audience how he wanted to do something for Derek when he graduated from basic training. Scott thought he could give Derek a shot of Jack Daniel's or a trip to the beach, but that's not what Derek had in mind.

"He said, 'You know what, Uncle Scott? I just need some chicken tenders,'" Scott recalled, prompting laughter.

The ceremony also was filled with touching moments, times when the only sound that could be heard was the weeping of mourners. When Derek's friend Ovi Moran slowly took to the podium overlooking Derek's flag-draped casket, he asked everyone to close their eyes and picture Derek. He then read a poem that was written as a final letter.

"It's time for me to go and it's hard to say goodbye to all of you," he said, choking up as he read. "But I got to go to heaven now, for my life on Earth is through."

Derek, a 2003 graduate of Sprague High School and the father of nearly 2-year-old Madison, joined the Marines in 2003. Gov. Kulongoski, a former Marine, said he knew there was little he could say to ease the grief felt by Derek's family and the people of Salem "who took heart in knowing this brave heart was part of their future."

"The awful truth is that can no longer happen," he continued. "Lance Cpl. Derek Jones is gone and with him is gone another Marine, another patriot, another hero, who was the best Oregon has to give."

Salem residents have rallied around Derek's family in the past two weeks, lending support and words of comfort. People who never met Derek attended his funeral.

"I felt it was the right thing to do," said Emma Schnebly, 84, of Salem. "I want to honor our soldiers."

After the ceremony, many mourners fell in line with the funeral procession, which stretched for blocks. They drove more than seven miles to the cemetery, passing over the Marion Street bridge, which was lined with U.S. flags. A few people stood outside waving flags and giving a nod as the procession went by.

"It's a beautiful experience as far as the support everybody has been able to share," said Rob O'Connor, a friend of Derek's family. "I am very proud to see Salem unite the way it has."

At the cemetery, dozens of people crowded around Derek's casket and his family. Encircling the crowd and holding U.S. flags were about 50 members of the motorcycle group Patriot Guard Riders.

Marines fired three rounds into the crisp, sunny air to honor Derek, then a bugler played taps as part of the full military honors. Derek's mother and wife laid flowers on Derek's casket and embraced as tears filled their eyes.

The American flag that draped Derek's casket and his Purple Heart were given to Pamela. As the graveside service concluded, a military helicopter flew overhead and "Amazing Grace" played in the background. Friends and family lingered to give one another support and remember the man they came to honor.

"Though (Derek) is gone, he went out the way he wanted, standing up for something he believed in," said his friend Arash Afshar, 18, of Salem. "We love him, and we miss him."

From the Statesmen Journal

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