Darrell Morris laid to rest

There is no greater love, some say, than for a man to lay down his life for the sake of others.

For Cpl. Darrel James Morris of Spokane, life was about sacrifice and putting others above himself. He did that as a child, caring for his little sister when their parents had abandoned them. He did it as a young man, joining the military even before graduating from high school.

And he did it as a Marine, dying for the sake of his country.

Morris, 21, was killed in the Anbar province on Jan. 21 after his vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device at an Iraq Army Police checkpoint, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. It was his second tour in Iraq.

“He was willing to give what was most precious so that we might live more securely in our freedom,” the Rev. Michael “Redhawk” Rice-Sauer said during an emotional memorial service Saturday. “There is no greater love … Darrel dared to follow this love from boy to man to hero in the name of all of us who claim our freedom.”

With tears in their eyes, hundreds gathered at Ferris High School, Morris’ alma mater, to both mourn and celebrate the life of this slain Marine.

The funeral was attended by numerous friends and relatives, Morris’ former teachers and classmates, members of the Marine Corps and other branches of the military, and many others including Mike Gregoire, a Vietnam combat veteran and husband of the governor.

As people approached the school auditorium, they were met by the somber wail of bagpipes playing the Marine Corps hymn and a line of nearly 100 American flags, each one carried by a member of the Patriot Guard Riders.

Inside, Morris’ body lay in a coffin draped with a flag and placed on the auditorium stage.

During the service, many wept as they listened to some of Morris’ favorite songs and watched as images of his life flashed upon a giant screen. They included photographs of a preschooler with a black eye; a little boy wearing a firefighter’s helmet that was much too big; a teenager wearing his scarlet and silver letterman jacket.

The video began with pictures of a toddler smiling sweetly for the camera and ended with the image of a young man proudly wearing the uniform of a Marine. The photos were followed by footage of an eagle soaring into the sky, then the Marine Corps’ emblem and motto: “Semper Fi.”

Morris’ success in life, however, didn’t come easily, according to Rice-Sauer, who officiated at the memorial. He had to stay focused and work hard, especially given his difficult early childhood in Tacoma.

When Morris was 9 and his sister, Danielle, was 6, his mother failed to come home one day.

The children survived for some time by eating all the food that was available in the house. When they ran out, Morris decided to hold a garage sale so he could earn money to feed himself and his little sister.

One weekend, neighbors noticed Morris — who was in third grade at the time — trying to drag a couch out the front door all by himself. They figured something was up, and the children were brought to their grandmother. She couldn’t keep them so the children were taken in by their aunt and uncle, Kim and Mik Cole, who lived in the Spokane area.

The Coles said in an interview last week that Morris’ parents had struggled with drug addiction. The tough upbringing caused him to appreciate all that he was given.

“For him, everything was a gift,” said Mik Cole. “Rather than he deserved it. He understood that if he wanted something, he had to work for it.”

Based on conversations Rice-Sauer had with the Coles and other family members, he described Morris as a go-getter, a guy who was never late and one who paid careful attention to the details.

But there was one thing that could slow Morris down. “A mirror,” he said, making the audience laugh.

“This guy not only loved order, responsibility and accountability, my friends,” said Rice-Sauer. “He loved to look good.”

Morris was so neat and orderly that he wouldn’t even tolerate smudges on his tennis shoes. To his aunt’s dismay, he would use her dish towels to clean off his shoes.

“He was fastidious, he had to be the best, he was loyal, committed, courageous and proud, and he was willing to get down in the dirty mud for the right cause,” said Rice-Sauer. “…He was born to be a Marine.”

A member of the Glad Tidings Youth Group, Morris was also a devout Christian who wanted to serve the world.

“He had a large heart,” said Rice-Sauer. “He sought the best in himself and in the world and expected the best from himself and the best from the world.”

Later in the service, people watched another video put together by his comrades in Iraq. The men of his battalion — his “brothers ” — had their own ceremony in which they took turns saluting and paying their respects before Morris’ helmet and inverted rifle.

The words, “God wrote your name in our hearts,” flashed briefly upon the screen.

“Forever it will stay.”

From the Spokesman Review

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Darrel J. Morris killed during combat operations