Army Maj. Paul D. Carron

Remember Our Heroes

Army Maj. Paul D. Carron, 33, of Charlotte, N.C.

Maj. Carron was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Sept. 18, 2010 at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a noncombat-related incident.

In a letter to the editor, which was published in the Washington Times, the then Captain Paul Carron, stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, wrote:

"When I was younger, my father made me read a book by James Michener, 'The Bridges at Toko-Ri.' When I finished, I told him the book was about naval aviators during the Korean War. He looked at me a little disappointed and told me I had missed the point. The book to him was not about pilots or the Korean War — it was about the bravery of men. At the end of the book, the captain of an aircraft carrier is watching his men suit up for yet another mission when he asks himself out loud, "Where do we get such men?

"...They [the pundits] should see a 22-year-old spend two hours sitting on a hard concrete floor negotiating an electricity contract or generator plan only to hit an improvised explosive device emplaced by the very people he seeks to help; a 19-year-old female medic advise a 19-year-old Iraqi mother on how to treat her child's ear infection; or men still dazed from a bomb blast that killed a friend and wounded seven others return from a mission and roll up their sleeves to give blood for the wounded, then clean the blood out of their vehicle to do a night patrol.

"They do it without ceremony or formality; they do it because it is their job and they are driven by sense of purpose few in other professions can understand.

"'Where do we get such men?' From all over — not just America, but from many other countries, but I know for sure the dedication required to do what they do every day is equal to the demands of any "real job."

Major Carron's Obituary:

Major Paul D. Carron, 33, of Vilseck, Germany, died Saturday, September 18, 2010 while on active duty in Qalat, Afghanistan.

Major Carron was serving with the 2nd Stryker Regiment as the squadron executive officer and had been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom since June 2010. Major Carron had a long attachment to North Carolina, both growing up in Fort Bragg and the surrounding community.

He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1999. Paul served the Army with distinction in a number of capacities in his eleven years of service. He deployed five times in support of both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In 2007, Paul was named a McArthur Leadership Award winner. In August 2008, Paul was selected to serve as the Aide de Camp for the Commanding General, United States Army Europe.

Major Carron is remembered as a Christian, loving father, husband, son and brother. He was an avid outdoor sportsman, devoted friend, and dedicated officer and soldier who devoted his life to his family, the United States Army, and to the interests of the United States of America.

He is survived by his wife Susan Abernethy Carron, daughter, Madeline, and unborn son, Luke Douglas; his parents CSM (Ret.) Douglas and Myong Carron of Fayetteville; sister and brother-in-law Michelle and Josh Taylor of Bear, Delaware. Paul's memory will also be cherished by Susan's family, Dan and Brenda Abernethy, Michael and Sarah Abernethy, and niece Riley, all of Charlotte.

Army Maj. Paul D. Carron was killed in a non-combat related incident on 9/18/10.