Cody Ford laid to rest

LAKE JACKSON — At the age of 7, on a trip back from the Varner-Hogg Plantation, Cody Ford had a vision he would die in war.

“‘Momma, momma, when I die in war, who’s gonna get my flag?’” Bob Ford, Cody’s uncle, said Cody asked his mom, Marcia Self.

His mom said if he were married by then, his wife would get it, but Cody wasn’t satisfied by the answer, Bob said.

“‘Oh no, Daddy’s gonna get my flag,’” Bob said Cody told his mom.

Cody’s statement was fulfilled Friday morning as Army officials handed his father, Philip Ford, one of the four flags in memory of the fallen soldier. Cody’s wife, Margi, twin brother, Tanner, and mother also received flags.

Several hundred people gathered at the Family Life Church to celebrate the life of Cody, 21, of Jones Creek who died Dec. 10 in Baghdad after a roadside bomb exploded under the Humvee in which he and four other soldiers were riding.

Two of the other soldiers in the Humvee also died, and the others were wounded, Philip Ford has said.

“His desire to bring freedom to another country is an example of what all American soldiers strive to achieve,” Maj. Linwood Buford Jr., commander for the South Recruiting Company of the Houston Recruiting Battalion, said as he stood near Cody’s coffin at Gulf Prairie Cemetery in Jones Creek.

About two hours earlier, Marcia sat at the church with her arm wrapped around Tanner’s.

She tilted her head, allowing it rest on Tanner’s shoulder as she looked at Cody’s photo.

“I feel for you … I feel for all of you,” Bob Ford said during Cody’s eulogy. “I don’t want to imagine losing one of my babies. It’s painful.”

Philip Ford was expected to speak about his son during the service, but when the time came, Philip just nodded and put up his hand.

Tanner, however, was able to get up and share memories of his twin, though the two were complete opposites, he said.

“Cody and I spent our entire lives explaining how we were twins,” Tanner said, sparking laughs among the attendees.

“Regardless how opposite we were, he was my brother, and I loved him.”

Tanner said he remembers how Cody used to take his G.I. Joes to bed with them and how he loved the Army.

“Ever since we were kids, Cody’s always dreamed of being a soldier,” Tanner said.

Andrew Brown, Cody’s friend, was surprised when he saw the groups of people scattered along the route to the cemetery from the church, waving their flags as cars headed to the burial site.

“I have a large amount of respect to them for showing respect to him,” Brown said.

Cody’s family received several awards on the soldier’s behalf.

The family was given a set of purple hearts, bronze stars, good conduct medals, combat infantry badges, global war on terror service medals, Iraqi expeditionary medals and replicas of Cody’s ID tags.

They also were given shadow boxes in which to place their flags.

From the Facts

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Cody (Philip C.) Ford reported killed by I.E.D.