By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

It is highly unlikely that Eddy Couch ever thought of not serving his country. After all, Eddy's older brother, Barry, was already a soldier and his dad, Vance, had been a medic with the United States Army in the violent Pacific Theater during World War II.

The elder Couch, who earned the rank of sergeant while saving countless lives in the Pacific, had said that all he wanted at war's end was to never be hungry again and to stay as dry as possible. So, Eddy had a couple of good role models who taught by example that one serves when one's country calls.

Robert Edward Couch was born on July 22, 1949, in the then-tiny town of Senoia, Ga. Founded just a year after the conclusion of the War Between the States, Senoia was a community where everyone pretty much knew everyone else and was a good place to grow up and raise a family. On July 4th, the flags would come out and decorate important buildings and a number of townspeople would follow suit and display Old Glory from the front porch door posts.

Eddy lived all his life in Senoia, attending the Senoia United Methodist Church, a beautiful old white building with captivating architecture and a circular tower. He worked during his high school days, had several girlfriends (although he frequently said that his mother, Eleanor, was his "number one ladyfriend"), and graduated from East Coweta High School in the summer of 1967. Although he was described as a "gentle giant" of a young man, he could, nevertheless, be "one tough cookie," as one person said.

Eddy had a simple plan for his life: after high school, he would work at Westinghouse, marry, and settle for the rest of his life in his hometown of Senoia. Maybe he would serve someday on the Board of the Methodist Church and, in a town like Senoia, Eddy might even be able to sit on the City Council as he grew in years. Sundays could be spent at his parent's home and whatever children might come along would go to the same schools and play in the same neighborhoods as had Eddy.

But Westinghouse wasn't hiring in the summer of 1967. After a year of working and waiting, Eddy turned 19 in July and volunteered for the draft. Like the other men in Senoia, he would do his part and implement the plan for his life at the end of his two years. Besides, with the G. I. Bill, he could better afford to buy a home and might even be able to go to college, if he so chose. After successfully completing basic training, Eddy was selected for Jump School, becoming a paratrooper. Eddy then completed the grueling U. S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga., just an hour and a half south of Senoia, on the Alabama border.

With his wings on his chest and his Ranger tab on his sleeve, Eddy received his orders. The boy from Senoia was off to Vietnam. The other veterans in Senoia had reason to be proud of their native son. The kid from the small town emerged as a leader in the Army and, as a member of the famous 101st Airborne Division, rapidly advanced to the rank of sergeant, as had his dad a generation before.

Eddy added a chest full of medals to his wings in Vietnam, including a couple of medals from the Republic of South Vietnam, the National Defense Medal, a sharpshooter's badge, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Purple Heart. He also received the Bronze Star and, for heroism in combat, the Silver Star.

The young sergeant spent Christmas in the jungles of Vietnam and on Dec. 30, 1968, Sgt. Robert Edward Couch was killed in action. He was just 19 years old. Eddy was brought back to Senoia and, after a funeral in the Methodist Church, was laid to rest in the town's historic cemetery. There were no military honors at the memorial service; there was too much grief for that. Those who keep such records say that Eddy was the only military person who was born and raised in Senoia to die in a war and be buried in the town.

Eddy, who would have been 52 in a couple of months, would have been pleased to see how Senoia has grown while maintaining its unique small-town atmosphere. The town has new shops and neighborhoods, and the high school Eddy attended is now a middle school.

The high school grew beyond anyone's expectations, became a football powerhouse, and moved into a brand new facility about eight miles down the road. The town has its own newspaper now, and the First Baptist Church has bought new property on Ga. Highway 16. Recently, the city received a $6 million grant for a sewage and wastewater treatment system and a new modern bridge has replaced the rickety, one-lane wooden structure on Rockaway Road that joins Senoia with Fayette County.

The new bridge stands unnamed at present and some have suggested that the bridge be named after the 19-year-old Vietnam War hero who gave up his dreams to serve his country and his community. Eddy's parents would like that, I'm told. They still live in Senoia and, even after 32 years, they miss their youngest son terribly.

"It's still so hard to live without him," Eddy's number one ladyfriend said last week. Sometimes they wonder if anyone even remembers their son or the sacrifice he made for his nation.

Perhaps the community will remember him, even after all these many years. Maybe they will choose not to name the bridge after a politician or a developer or a person of wealth or influence. Instead, perhaps they will remember the smiling, gentle local boy from the high school and the Methodist Church who only wanted to live out his life in peace in Senoia, Ga. Perhaps they will remember him and name the new bridge in honor of the 19-year-old neighbor kid down the street who heard the call to duty and died a hero in a war that nobody wanted to fight.

[Father David Epps is the rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in the south metro Atlanta area. He is a Vietnam-era veteran of the U. S. Marine Corps and serves as a chaplain with several law enforcement agencies, including the Senoia Police Department. He may be contacted at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]

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