Matthew Creed laid to rest

COVINA - The Rev. Judith Heffron needed a little help from her dictionary Saturday when talking about Matthew Creed. She said Webster's defines heroes as being mythical, and having super powers.

"That certainly fits our Matthew," she told nearly 350 people gathered at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for funeral services for the 23-year-old Army corporal killed Oct. 22 by a sniper's bullet in Baghdad, Iraq.

"Today we come to celebrate a hero's homecoming," she said. "Matthew had a hero's heart."

As of Friday, at least 2,828 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq War in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Creed was the 19th person from the San Gabriel Valley to die in the war.

In a service filled with military tradition, Creed was remembered as a fun-loving and somewhat mischievous kid.

"Matt would love all this attention," his father, Rick, said, adding his son's reaction would be: "Yeah, this is all about me."

Rick Creed said his son truly enjoyed life and smiled as he talked

about Matthew shooting staples at co-workers.
Heffron shared a memory of Creed as a "knobby-kneed kid playing tricks on his friends" during church youth events.

But she added, he always delivered.

"He would do the job that needed to done with a glad and willing heart."

Creed graduated from Charter Oak High School in 2001. He had hopes of becoming a police officer, but was told to get some experience in the military. He enlisted in 2003.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood Texas.

He turned down an offer to be stationed at Washington, D.C., and asked to go to Iraq, Army officials said. Earlier, the military said Creed was an Army specialist.

But Saturday, officials said he had achieved the rank of corporal. The paperwork for his promotion had been in process before he was killed in Iraq.

"He was working hard to be a corporal," Army Sgt. 1st Class Franklin Spencer said. "He wanted to be an NCO."

Survivors include his wife, Ashley; mother, Kimberly, father, Rick; and brother, James.

The Creeds were longtime Covina residents but recently moved to Rancho Cucamonga.

The lengthy funeral procession from the church to Forest Lawn Memorial-Park, Covina Hills included 90 motorcycles from the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of motorcyclists who attend funeral services of "fallen American heroes," and several vehicles form the Covina Police Department.

Graveside services included a 21-gun salute and presentation of the flag and medals to the family.

From the Pasadena Star News

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