Gregory McCoy remembered

A Livingston County family is grieving over the loss of a soldier, son and patriot who joined the Army straight out of school.

Staff Sgt. Gregory McCoy, who was 26 and grew up in Webberville, died after an improvised explosive device went off Thursday, sending his vehicle off an overpass near Baghdad, Iraq.

His mother, Howell resident Carol Johnson, said her son was in his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was with the 410th Military Police company, based out of Fort Hood, Texas.

"It was his duty as a member of the U.S. Army — that was his job," Johnson said of her son choosing a second tour of duty. "He felt they were doing a lot of good there. He told me, from his first tour of duty, that he was at various times ... helping to train Iraqi police."
McCoy leaves behind a wife, Lori, and two sons, Logan, 6; and Tyler, 3, all of Texas. Survivors also include a sister, Michelle Potchynok of Webberville; a stepbrother, Eric Johnson of Howell; grandparents George and Dortha Monroe of Fowlerville; father, Tim McCoy; and other relatives in Connecticut.

"He was always willing to help everybody and he was pretty active and he was a proud soldier," George Monroe said, who himself is a World War II Army veteran.

The soldier's uncle, Dennis Monroe, said he was at George Monroe's place last week, raking leaves, when he saw McCoy's name etched in the driveway from when he was a child.

"Greg was the only grandson around and scratched his name in the cement," Dennis Monroe said. "So, I've been thinking about him all week."

Johnson remembers the last time she saw her son, which was for Mother's Day, just weeks before he was deployed to Iraq.

"I think it was the first time I had both of my kids with me on Mother's Day in 15 years," Johnson said. "It was great. Greg treated us all to dinner afterwards."

Johnson said her son enjoyed snowboarding and had a dry sense of humor.

Gregory McCoy will be buried at a national cemetery in Texas, Johnson said. No information was available Saturday from the Department of Defense, U.S. Army or Fort Hood.

Johnson added there will be a service sometime in the near future in the Webberville area, probably at Fowlerville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6464, of which Gregory McCoy and his wife were members.

As a matter of fact, the VFW post had just adopted her son's unit a week ago and is in the middle of putting together care packages.

McCoy was the fourth member of the armed forces with known Fowlerville-area connections to have died while serving in Iraq. Lance Cpls. Michael Hanks and Andrew Kilpela, as well as Maj. Gerald Bloomfield II were all, at some point, part of Fowlerville Community Schools.

Johnson, like many other Americans, recognizes the sacrifice soldiers have made in Iraq.

"I'm real proud of him for his choice to join the service," Johnson said.

From the Daily Press

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Gregory W. G. McCoy killed by I.E.D.