City of Aiken, SC Aiken Awards 2018, 28 Feb 2018

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From YouTube: Aiken Award Recipients The Family of Cpl. Matt Dillon

Description

The City of Aiken is honored to recognize a whole family that has given so much in defense of the nation, including the tragic sacrifice of their son, Marine Cpl. Matthew Dillon, who died in combat December 11, 2006 while on patrol in the Anbar province of Iraq. The award we confer today honors not just Matt, but his entire family … As you’ll see, military service and support for the brotherhood of veterans runs deep in Lucy and Neal Dillon’s lives.

A

Circuit father was in World War two. He was a b-17 engineer and top turret gunner shot down on the 17th mission spent 17 months as a Pio w in Stalag 17 B I have two brothers in Korea during the Korean War. My younger brother was in Vietnam along with me for six months and then my three sons, my oldest son Robert, is a retired colonel in the Army. In fact, he's retiring at the middle of May of this year. After 29 years, my middle son Michael was a United States, Marine Corps veteran one tour.

A

He is now a helicopter pilot for the Riverside police department California, our youngest son Matt, was also a Marine. He was serving his second tour in Iraq and he was killed in action on his 37th combat patrol. He was a top turret gunner on a Humvee I. First.

B

Met Matt and I believe was 1987 when they moved to Aiken, actually at Mike's birthday party and from that point on, we were pretty much all best friends and then Mike went off to the Marine Corps and Matt and I got really close and of course you know, I mean he always had a smile on his face and he was always determined and he set a goal when he was always determined to achieve that goal. He played hard, but he trained hard, but he played as well. You know we.

A

Were passionate about serving a veteran in need before Matt was killed. As a matter of fact, she was the president of the Family Readiness Group I heart you. They call it of the National Guard united granite bill, so we were involved two to two and a half years before he was killed in action. You.

C

Definitely can't be a veteran in this county and not know the name Dylan due to the legacy of Matt, giving his life for his country in Iraq, but then also what Lucy and Neal have done since then, some families they lose a family member, noodle war and they become reclusive they're involved in the Aiken County Veterans Council they're involved in the Purple Heart chapter they're involved in the Marine Corps League Lucy was one of the driving forces behind the Fisher House that is over at the VA in Augusta. You.

B

Know being around support groups being around service members that he served with before units that he served with before even the National Guard, you know they still the Marine Corps League that just drives them. It keeps them going. You know to be there for other families, that's lost loved ones in the military. After.

D

Matt was killed, we talked to different families of fallen, were out visiting in California and there they have a large National Cemetery there. If there is a funeral for a fall and we go to it and we speak with the family and we've done it even on airplanes.

D

Just recently, we talked to a family that lost their son and I. Guess the man summed it up real good merkat, not playing when he grabbed my arm when I was leaving. He just said. Thank you. He says your words help. You know it's it's a difficult thing to deal with.

D

Some people ask when, when do you get over it? Well, when you lose a child, you never get over, it I think that's one thing: people don't understand is how much the families of these soldiers sacrifice while they're gone and.

D

It's just you know to me: it was an honor for our children to serve that. It's always something bigger than themselves. I think it gives him a different perspective on life and makes them a stronger, better Patriot.

E

Simply they find his love of country and that I listed the day after 9/11 he came home. He set us down, we knew things were serious when he asked us to sit down, and he said.

A

Dad mom I've enlisted in the Marine Corps I'm, sorry, the National Guard at that time and I could well that's good I serve all my brothers there and so forth. But while you, why are you doing this and he says we.

E

Can't look, we can't let 9/11 happen. He said that somebody's got to step forward. He said why not me so excuse me, so uh he loved this country, he loved Aiken. Where else couldn't you live at a place like Aiken, where you enjoy life, people are here a very patriotic. We love the city, he loved the city, he did it. The love of country, that's as simple as I can make it.

F

And so when a serviceman dies, it's a tear in the fabric, a break in the hole that all we can do is remember. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the founding fathers grave and gray-haired, but most of them were boys when they died when they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up everything for our country, for us, and all we can do is remember.

E