Remembering Fallen Soldiers On Memorial Day

For the families of military service personnel who are killed in combat, every day is a kind of Memorial Day.

Robert Stokely’s son, Sgt. Michael Stokely, was a long-time Loganville resident who died in Iraq on Aug. 16, 2005. Stokely said he still receives encouraging words from residents who were friends and neighbors with fond memories of his son. 

“It’s good to know that my son had such great support in that community,” he said.

When family members gathered for Stokely’s funeral, a highly visible outpouring of public support overwhelmed them. Countless well-wishers – many dressed in formal attire – braved the strong Georgia heat and lined up along the roadways leading to Stokely’s burial ground between Loganville and Walnut Grove.

Stokely said a loss such as that of his son can rekindle community spirit – a positive outcome from an otherwise tragic event. 

“It’s easy to become removed from what war is all about, and what serving your county can ultimately result in, until it happens to someone you know or someone in your community,” he said. “It became personal because it was a Loganville boy. They might not have known him, but for that day he was one of them.”

Today a part of Highway 81 in Loganville is named in memory of Michael Stokely. Another stretch of road bears the same name in Coweta County, which is where Robert Stokely lives and serves as solicitor general.

Michael Stokely’s legacy also continues in the work of the Mike Stokely Foundation – a family formed organization granting scholarships and providing financial support to the families of seriously wounded soldiers, among other efforts.

Most recently, the foundation came to the assistance of Sgt. Mark Allen of Loganville. Allen received substantial combat injuries in Afghanistan, and his family is hopeful he will recover to point of being able to return home. 

With the arrival of the nation’s Memorial Day, Robert Stokely said he hopes everyone will pause to reflect on why there is a need for remembrance.

“Before Mike was killed, I was like a lot of people – Memorial Day was a good excuse for a cookout, a three-day weekend or to start a long vacation,” he said. “Now it has a whole new meaning. I do like to ask peoples to remember why Memorial Day exists.” 

Stokely said every public showing of honor and respect for fallen military is an encouragement to the active and veteran solders that their service is not forgotten. 

“I’d like to see the day when we remember truly what Memorial Day stands for and we focus on those who gave their tomorrows and their forever for this country,” he said. “They didn’t get to come home and have another tomorrow. They left it there on the battlefield.”

Photograph:

In what Stokely said is one of the last known photographs of his son, Robert Stokely gave the following explanation:

"The photo was taken by Loganville High classmate and good friend Alden Williams about a week before Mike was killed by roadside bomb. In this photo Mike is actually holding an IV bag while a medic works on another soldier on the ground (who was hurt bad but going to make it).  Mike's HMV and the one this soldier was riding in had just met one another on the roadway.  The vehicles were "tail to tail" when the IED exploded. Mike's HMV was not very seriously damaged but the other one, well the third photo shows it all. Mike was standing there and Alden Williams came up with a Medical relief team answering the call. Alden walked up and Mike turns around to Alden's surprise.  Alden knew Mike worked that area but was not expecting Mike to be standing there.  Alden took the photo of Mike, which as you can tell by the two photos, Mike smiled a lot and that was one of his trademarks, besides being everyone's best friend...  Noone in the family was aware that Mike was growing a mustache - it was his "surprise" for us when he was to have come home on his leave a few weeks later on  Sept. 1, but never made it, having been KIA 16 August 2005."