It is highly unlikely that

Eddy Couch ever thought of not serving his country. After all, Eddy's

older brother, Barry, was already a soldier and his dad, Vance, had been

a medic with the United States Army in the violent Pacific Theater during

World War II.

The elder Couch, who earned

the rank of sergeant while saving countless lives in the Pacific, had

said that all he wanted at war's end was to never be hungry again and

to stay as dry as possible. So, Eddy had a couple of good role models

who taught by example that one serves when one's country calls.

Robert Edward Couch was born

on July 22, 1949, in the then-tiny town of Senoia, Ga. Founded just a

year after the conclusion of the War Between the States, Senoia was a

community where everyone pretty much knew everyone else and was a good

place to grow up and raise a family. On July 4th, the flags would come

out and decorate important buildings and a number of townspeople would

follow suit and display Old Glory from the front porch door posts.

Eddy lived all his life in

Senoia, attending the Senoia United Methodist Church, a beautiful old

white building with captivating architecture and a circular tower. He

worked during his high school days, had several girlfriends (although

he frequently said that his mother, Eleanor, was his "number one

ladyfriend"), and graduated from East Coweta High School in the summer

of 1967. Although he was described as a "gentle giant" of a

young man, he could, nevertheless, be "one tough cookie," as

one person said.

Eddy had a simple plan for

his life: after high school, he would work at Westinghouse, marry, and

settle for the rest of his life in his hometown of Senoia. Maybe he would

serve someday on the Board of the Methodist Church and, in a town like

Senoia, Eddy might even be able to sit on the City Council as he grew

in years. Sundays could be spent at his parent's home and whatever children

might come along would go to the same schools and play in the same neighborhoods

as had Eddy.

But Westinghouse wasn't hiring

in the summer of 1967. After a year of working and waiting, Eddy turned

19 in July and volunteered for the draft. Like the other men in Senoia,

he would do his part and implement the plan for his life at the end of

his two years. Besides, with the G. I. Bill, he could better afford to

buy a home and might even be able to go to college, if he so chose. After

successfully completing basic training, Eddy was selected for Jump School,

becoming a paratrooper. Eddy then completed the grueling U. S. Army Ranger

School at Fort Benning, Ga., just an hour and a half south of Senoia,

on the Alabama border.

With his wings on his chest

and his Ranger tab on his sleeve, Eddy received his orders. The boy from

Senoia was off to Vietnam. The other veterans in Senoia had reason to

be proud of their native son. The kid from the small town emerged as a

leader in the Army and, as a member of the famous 101st Airborne Division,

rapidly advanced to the rank of sergeant, as had his dad a generation

before.

Eddy added a chest full of

medals to his wings in Vietnam, including a couple of medals from the

Republic of South Vietnam, the National Defense Medal, a sharpshooter's

badge, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Purple Heart. He also received

the Bronze Star and, for heroism in combat, the Silver Star.

The young sergeant spent Christmas

in the jungles of Vietnam and on Dec. 30, 1968, Sgt. Robert Edward Couch

was killed in action. He was just 19 years old. Eddy was brought back

to Senoia and, after a funeral in the Methodist Church, was laid to rest

in the town's historic cemetery. There were no military honors at the

memorial service; there was too much grief for that. Those who keep such

records say that Eddy was the only military person who was born and raised

in Senoia to die in a war and be buried in the town.

Eddy, who would have been 52

in a couple of months, would have been pleased to see how Senoia has grown

while maintaining its unique small-town atmosphere. The town has new shops

and neighborhoods, and the high school Eddy attended is now a middle school.

The high school grew beyond

anyone's expectations, became a football powerhouse, and moved into a

brand new facility about eight miles down the road. The town has its own

newspaper now, and the First Baptist Church has bought new property on

Ga. Highway 16. Recently, the city received a $6 million grant for a sewage

and wastewater treatment system and a new modern bridge has replaced the

rickety, one-lane wooden structure on Rockaway Road that joins Senoia

with Fayette County.

The new bridge stands unnamed

at present and some have suggested that the bridge be named after the

19-year-old Vietnam War hero who gave up his dreams to serve his country

and his community. Eddy's parents would like that, I'm told. They still

live in Senoia and, even after 32 years, they miss their youngest son

terribly.

"It's still so hard to

live without him," Eddy's number one ladyfriend said last week. Sometimes

they wonder if anyone even remembers their son or the sacrifice he made

for his nation.

Perhaps the community will

remember him, even after all these many years. Maybe they will choose

not to name the bridge after a politician or a developer or a person of

wealth or influence. Instead, perhaps they will remember the smiling,

gentle local boy from the high school and the Methodist Church who only

wanted to live out his life in peace in Senoia, Ga. Perhaps they will

remember him and name the new bridge in honor of the 19-year-old neighbor

kid down the street who heard the call to duty and died a hero in a war

that nobody wanted to fight.

[Father David Epps is the rector

of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in the south metro Atlanta

area. He is a Vietnam-era veteran of the U. S. Marine Corps and serves

as a chaplain with several law enforcement agencies, including the Senoia

Police Department. He may be contacted at [email protected] or at

www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]

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