Army Spc. Kevin J. Graham

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Kevin J. Graham, 27, of Benton, Ky.

Spc. Graham was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Sept. 26, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an IED.

Pastor says soldier loved serving country
The Associated Press

BENTON, Ky. — A western Kentucky pastor says a soldier who died when a roadside bomb hit his vehicle in Afghanistan believed he was doing his life’s work in the Army.

The Rev. Jonathan Goodman told The Paducah Sun that 27-year-old Spc. Kevin J. Graham of Benton was honored to serve his country.

Graham died Sept. 26 in Kandahar of wounds suffered in the attack by insurgents. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Goodman says Graham joined the Army in 2007, was married in Washington and had a stepson. The pastor says Graham’s parents brought reports of their son to church often and that members of the church would pray for him.

The newspaper said Graham’s parents, Dan and Sandy Graham, live near Fairdealing and were at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Sept. 28 when their son’s body was returned to the United States. Graham has three older brothers.

Had always wanted to join Army
The Associated Press

Kevin Graham loved muscle cars. It started when he rebuilt a 1939 with his dad and brother, and culminated in his prized vehicle: A 1965 Pontiac Le Mans.

“He loved to drive that thing,” said Graham’s brother, Sean Graham. “That was his pride and joy. He was always working on that thing, always driving and washing it.”

Graham, 27, of Benton, Ky., was killed Sept. 26 when the vehicle in which he was riding hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

Sean Graham said his brother always wanted to be a soldier, dressing up in Army gear, playing Army games and eagerly listening to stories of World War II and Vietnam. He enlisted in 2007.

“He had always been that way, and I fully supported his decision to go into the Army,” Sean Graham said. “It took a while for him to make that decision. When he did, I was so proud of him.”

Jonathan Goodman, the pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Benton, said Graham was proud to serve his country, noting that the congregation often prayed for him when his parents brought reports to the church.

Graham is survived by his parents and three older brothers, including Sean.

Army Spc. Kevin J. Graham was killed in action on 9/26/09.