Cockerham, Benny, III 'Gray'
CONOVER -- Cpl. Cockerham III, USMC, age 21 of Conover, NC, was killed in action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq on October 21, 2005.
He was born at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base on June 28, 1984 to Ben and Jill Wright Cockerham. He graduated from St. Stephens High School in Hickory, NC, where he played soccer all four years.
He is survived by his parents, Ben and Jill Cockerham; wife, Amanda Johnson Cockerham; younger brother, Adam Cockerham, who is a senior at St. Stepehens High School; and grandparents, Benny and Maggie Cockerham of Elkin, NC and Jesse and Audrey Wright of Dobson, NC.
Cpl. Cockerham was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, where he received two Purple Hearts, the Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
The family will receive friends Sunday, October 30, 2005 at Catawba Funerals & Cremations in Hickory, NC from 6 - 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Monday, October 31, 2005 at 3 p.m. at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Conover, NC, where he and his wife attended. Interment will follow at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cpl. Benny Gray Cockerham, III USMC Memorial Fund, c/o Wake Forest University, P. O. Box 7227, Winston-Salem, NC 27109.
Catawba Memorial Park, Funerals and Cremations are providing professional services to the Cockerham Family.
(Source: Charlotte Observer, October 29, 2005)