Stephen Bicknell killed by land mine

PRATTVILLE -- Friends and family members are remembering a fallen Prattville paratrooper as a go-to guy who wanted to serve his country.

Pvt. Stephen Bicknell, 19, of the 82nd Airborne Division, had been in the Army only about six months. He died Sunday in Baghdad, Iraq, after the Humvee he was driving was struck by an improvised explosive device.

His mother, Linda, declined to comment Tuesday. She said she would comment when the family knows more about what happened.

Bicknell was a 2005 graduate of Prattville High School and a standout on the football field. He was a wide receiver for the Lions in the 2004 state championship game against Hoover. Hoover defeated Prattville.

This marks the second time in four months that Prattville athletic director and head football coach Bill Clark lost a former team member. Sgt. Carlos Pernell was killed June 6 in a mortar attack in Baghdad. Pernell played on the 1999 team, Clark's first team at Prattville.

"With Stephen, it's just so close. We had him up here last year," Clark said. "He had signed a scholarship to (West) Alabama and had gone to college for about a year. But he wanted to serve. He came by and saw us about six or seven weeks ago before he shipped out. There's really nothing you can say to the family to express your feelings. With Stephen, and Carlos, we just told the family that we are proud of them, and proud to have been associated with them."

Services haven't been set, said Bicknell's father-in-law, Marvin Barrett. Family members met with a military representative Tuesday night and were told it likely would be a week before his body was brought home.

Bicknell's widow, Miranda Barrett Bicknell, is five months pregnant. She was an honors student and athletic standout while at PHS, past editions of the Prattville Progress show. She lettered in basketball.

"Stephen was a great young man, respectful. He was one of the best kids I ever knew," said Barrett, who supervises the maintenance arm of the Autauga County School System. He served as county commissioner from 1992 to 1996.

"We're not mad at anybody, we're not bitter," said Barrett. "He was over there fighting for his country. We have all these freedoms now because of people like him who are protecting us."

Bicknell likely will have a memorial service at First United Methodist Church, where his family are members, with burial to follow at Prattville Memory Gardens, Barrett said.

News of the death sent shock waves through the community.

"Stephen was just one of those real nice guys, he was very well-thought of at the school," said Kelli Harris, who graduated a year ahead of him. "I just can't believe this has happened. Everybody liked Stephen."

Prattville Mayor Jim Byard said he had spoken with Bicknell's family.

"Of course, this is a very sad day for Prattville and Autauga County," he said. "We are working with the family, offering any services they need during this difficult time. We will honor Stephen Bicknell just as we have honored other fallen heroes."

Byard said flags in the city will be lowered to half-staff as soon as the Department of Defense makes the official notification of Bicknell's death. City and county leaders got a crash course in protocol this June, after Pernell's death.

The deaths of the two soldiers show the caliber of the young people in the county, said Autauga Superintendent of Education Larry Butler.

"Stephen and Carlos were young men who made the ultimate sacrifice," he said Tuesday, choking back tears. "They're our kids, just as much as they are their parents' kids.

"I really want the community to understand and appreciate the service and sacrifice of our military men and women. It's because of them that we have the freedom and liberties we all enjoy. We will remain free as long as there are men and women who are willing to make that ultimate sacrifice on our behalf."

From the Montgomery Advertiser