TACOMA, WA, US
U.S. Army
PFC, CO B, 1ST BN, 41ST INF REG, 3RD INF BDE COMBAT TEAM, FORT BLISS, TX
01/11/2012, COP KHERWAR, AFGHANISTAN
Private First Class Neil Turner wrote to his mother Charlotte Cox-Turner in the fall of 2010 about the world he was discovering beyond Tacoma. In his travels PFC Turner encountered a tearful, fellow recruit and befriended this lonely young man.
“Ha ha! You would be proud of your little boy,” PFC Turner added.
“He was such a lover of people,” explained Pastor Samuel Deuth, a youth minister who knew PFC Turner growing up. PFC Turner “would go out of his way to make people feel loved,” Pastor Deuth said. “You didn’t see him much without a smile.”
PFC Turner a 2008 graduate of Lincoln High School enjoyed music and had the positive reputation for being a kind and loving brother. Charlotte Cox-Turner wrote back to her son after he told her about the lonely recruit and explained:
“Yes I am proud of you,” she wrote. “You changed a life; that is the mark of a true leader. You are a leader. Don’t forget it, my boy, my son, my man.”
January 31, 2012
Neil you were the best guy with the biggest heart. You taught us all SO much about living life and making the best of things when they are at their worst. You showed us that we need to take our experiences and turn them into things that better our lives for the good no matter what. You touched so many of our lives. I still think of the jokes you made during lunch and that smile that brightened any body’s day. We will all miss you and you will be in the hearts of everyone. You live within us all in spirit. You served our country as a soldier and also as a friend. R.I.P my friend we will meet again. Ashley from the Legacy.com guest book
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