(Lexington) March 24, 2005 - Another one of South
Carolina's bravest has been laid to rest.
Marine Lance Corporal Josh Torrence died last week
while on patrol in Iraq. Thursday's funeral illustrated
Torrence's love for the military, past and present.
Josh Torrence focused his life on joining the United
States Marines, but his parents say after he was
deployed to Iraq last year, their son always talked
about home.
Thursday, Torrence came home for the final time. His
funeral at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church in
Lexington drew hundreds, including Governor Mark
Sanford.
The governor was clearly moved after the ceremony, "I
see in his life as a Marine, a young person that
believes in a set of values, a set of principles,
and I think that's an inspiration to everybody
whether they live in Lexington, or whether they live in
Columbia, or living in any part of South Carolina."
The funeral was closed to cameras, but not the
graveside service in the Lexington county
community of Boiling Springs, a service that
reflected on some of the things that helped shape Josh
Torrence's character.
Torrence was a top offensive lineman at White Knoll
High School. Team members wore their jerseys at the
service.
The Marines paid tribute to the 20-year-old Lance
Corporal, who died when his assault vehicle came under
attack by Iraqi insurgents. And maybe most striking at
the service was the presence of Civil War
re-enactors.
Torrence was also a Corporal in the Palmetto
Battalion. A Civil War buff since age 12, the Palmetto
Battalion's Dewey Gunter says, "Josh loved history.
He was fascinated by history ever since he was a little
boy."
Gunter says re-enactment helped lead Torrence to
the Marines, "A lot of hard work in re-enacting. People
soon find out there's a lot work in it, a lot of hard
work. Josh also was in ROTC. I would really say between
the two, re-enacting and ROTC, is basically what got him
into that. Into the Marines."
The mixed group bid a
reluctant farewell to their fallen brother.
Reported by Jack
Kuenzie
Posted 6:40pm by Chantelle
Janelle
