The casualty count in Iraq again hit close to home when Army Sgt. Alex Funcheon of Bel Aire was killed Sunday by a roadside bomb. Funcheon had enlisted in 2004 and been deployed in October. He was 21. “He knew what was expected of him, and he was going to do it,” his mother, Karen Funcheon, told The Eagle.
Our community cannot ease the pain of loss for Funcheon’s loved ones, but it can keep them in our hearts and prayers and try to honor his courage and sacrifice. In this and all wars, there is no measuring the debt owed to those willing to leave their homes and families to fight for our nation and liberty.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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39 Comments
I knew Alex as a teen-ager, his sister, and his parents. Alex and my son were good friends along with our boys in the Bel-Air neighborhood. I want to send long distance prayers from Colorado to Alex’s family and let them know how proud Matt, Kayleigh, and I am to have known Alex. Alex is a young man that any parent would proud to say that he is their son. Alex over the years has grown up so much and most of all he gave his life for our freedom. Our prayers are with you. God’s Blessings.
I am sorry to hear of this man’s death- as I am all the deaths of all the people in the military. We ask alot of these folks and they always give it their all.
Patriot Guard is standing by for this brave American.
“O God, our Heavenly Father, we remember before Thee this day,those who laid down their lives in the service of their country.
We remember their courage and devotion to the Sovereign and the country they served.
We pray that their labours be not in vain but that their spirit may live on in us and the generations to come.
We pray that liberty, truth and love may spread over all the world ’til war shall cease to be.
We remember our brethren who are in sickness or distress.
We remember the widows and other dependants.
We dedicate ourselves to Thy service in the name of those whose memory we revere.
We ask this in the name of our Lord.” “Amen”
I am humbled by the service of Alex Funcheon. My prayers of comfort to his mother Karen.
My heartfelt thanks for his service to his country cannot alone soothe the anguish of his mother.
May Sergeant Funcheon mother’s bereavement evoke cherished memories of him during this time of sorrow.
May the solemn pride instilled by Sergeant Funcheon to the class of elementary students that corresponded with him, give the children venerable memory that springs forth a hope of a buoyant tomorrow.
With one heart we all feel, with one mind we all acknowledge, that Sergeant Funcheon wielded his capacity of heroism unselfishly.
Alex Funcheon’s departure from this earth leaves behind splendid memories that will inspire my lack of adequate words to express the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country.
God be with the family and friends during these times.
Your collective worship of his sacrifice assures there will be more.
Worship? You are one sick person, DK. Obviously you do not understand the concept of respet, do you? You have none for anyone, nor do you recognize it.
Do yourself a very large favor…go join the phelps inbred cult and enjoy yourself you sicko.
Worship? You are one sick person, DK. Obviously you do not understand the concept of respect, do you? You have none for anyone, nor do you recognize it.
Do yourself a very large favor…go join the phelps inbred cult and enjoy yourself you sicko.
We pray for the fallen, and worship God. Too bad there are people like dk, phelps, and the like who have no understanding of what that means.
To have lost a son or daughter to war is a terrible thing. My prayers are with all families whom the war has touched in such a sad way.
To the family of SGT Alex Funcheon, I want to express my deepest sympathy to you on the loss of your son and brother. I live in Bel Aire also and am serivng overseas. To the posters of this forum I would encourage you to leave the political debates out of this one. SGT Funcheon gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect you and defend your freedoms. Let us never forget and always respect that.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family…but I can’t help but a feel helpless as to how he gave his life..in an illegal war with trumped up reasons for an invasion…our freedom had nothing to do with his and his family’s sacrifice. If I were his mom, I’d be as furious as I am grief stricken. When someone is willing to sacrifice their life in the military, it should be because there is a true threat to our country and there is no other alternative to resolving the crisis.
Mary
Please take it to an open thread —
Bush’s soul will burn in a lake of fire for all eternity for this.
“A ministering angel will Alex be whilst he lies howling.”
I wouldn’t want to be George W. Bush on Judgement Day for all the oil in Iraq . . .
Why? It’s a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened, not pointing that out just condones the false idea that out soldiers are dying for our frredom. Sorry, but I can’t pretend that’s the agenda.
That’s about the height of arrogance Capn. Judging another’s eternal fate.
Your hate is consuming you. You need to step back.
Some of you need to learn something about appropriate time and place.
I’ll admit my hate for sending our young people to their deaths for Bush’s adgenda is consuming me also. I have no plans to step back at all.
This is the appropriate time and place…to pretend it’s all for the good of this country is a farce.
I am filled with deep respect and awe for this young man who so bravely gave everything for his country.
He is truly a hero.
Memorials are not the place for political discussion, in my mind.There are more appropriate places.Don’t disagree the dsicussion needs to happen, just when and where. Let it drop here and move on
“Let it drop here and move on”
Why not let us see just how the LibLeft hates America, hates the troops and loves the terrorists?The more they talk, the better our chances in ‘08.You people will not defend this country and the American people will know that.
Well said, Little John, well said indeed.
As a mother of two sons, my grief would be unimaginable if my son died in war…As I said before, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family.
The loss of so many people, from our soldiers to all those in Iraq who have died is heartbreaking. I wonder if the sacrifice will be worth it?
Of course it is! As long as we can give tax cuts to the wealthy who cares!
I think most of us are saddened when a soldier dies especially one from the Wichita Area. It does seem to odd to attack people for questioning to motives and reasoning behind the deaths of soldiers as playing politics. When the war itself political. The fact that the Eagle decided to create a blog to Sgt. Funcheon on their blog is political. In fact I cant think of other Kansas soldiers honored in such away.
Tom Paine,
You raise a good point. But I think the Eagle is to be commended for memorializing Sergeant Funcheon, as a reminder of a “war” that for the majority of Americans is silent and invisible.
As to the reasons for this silence and this invisibility, well…to say any more than that would be “political,” now wouldn’t it? And goodness knows we can’t have that!
The “rational” here of playing politics with this young man’s death because the Eagle has a thread is childish and ridiculous. People using this death to make political comments are no better than that filty cult from Topeka that uses death as their platform.
You people demonstrate absolutely no respect for the soldier at all, and that sickens me. He was a volunteer soldier, doing his job as ordered. Thank GOD for people like Sgt. Funcheon who don’t make political judgments on where or when they serve our country.
Out of respect for the family, I plead with you people to show a little compassion and a little restraint.
Henry V (in disguise)methinks I could not die any where so contented as in the king’s company; his cause being just and his quarrel honourable.
WilliamsThat’s more than we know.
BatesAye, or more than we should seek after; for we know enough, if we know we are the king’s subjects: if his cause be wrong, our obedience to the king wipes the crime of it out of us.
WilliamsBut if the cause be not good, the king himself hath a heavy reckoning to make, when all those legs and arms and heads, chopped off in battle, shall join together at the latter day and cry all ‘We died at such a place;’ some swearing, some crying for a surgeon, some upon their wives left poor behind them, some upon the debts they owe, some upon their children rawly left. I am afeard there are few die well that die in a battle; for how can they charitably dispose of any thing, when blood is their argument? Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the king that led them to it . . .
My prayers are with this young man and his family. I’m sorry, for your loss.
If you people had stopped praying and started thinking years ago, this young man wouldn’t be dead.
Gotta go with Door King on that one.
It’s not like it was an unforseen event.
Be the cause just or not, he died while serving his country, even though the country be misled. Either way, I can’t imaginge it could really diminish the loss of such a young life, and the trauma to his family.
We’re proud to have known Alex through our church family. Bob and Karen, our hearts grieve your loss. He is with our Lord now!We’re praying that God will use all of us who knew Alex, to make you intensely aware of His presence!
Oh my name it is nothin’My age it means lessThe country I come fromIs called the MidwestI’s taught and brought up thereThe laws to abideAnd that land that I live inHas God on its side.
Oh the history books tell itThey tell it so wellThe cavalries chargedThe Indians fellThe cavalries chargedThe Indians diedOh the country was youngWith God on its side.
Oh the Spanish-AmericanWar had its dayAnd the Civil War tooWas soon laid awayAnd the names of the heroesI’s made to memorizeWith guns in their handsAnd God on their side.
Oh the First World War, boysIt closed out its fateThe reason for fightingI never got straightBut I learned to accept itAccept it with prideFor you don’t count the deadWhen God’s on your side.
When the Second World WarCame to an endWe forgave the GermansAnd we were friendsThough they murdered six millionIn the ovens they friedThe Germans now tooHave God on their side.
I’ve learned to hate RussiansAll through my whole lifeIf another war startsIt’s them we must fightTo hate them and fear themTo run and to hideAnd accept it all bravelyWith God on my side.
But now we got weaponsOf the chemical dustIf fire them we’re forced toThen fire them we mustOne push of the buttonAnd a shot the world wideAnd you never ask questionsWhen God’s on your side.
In a many dark hourI’ve been thinkin’ about thisThat Jesus ChristWas betrayed by a kissBut I can’t think for youYou’ll have to decideWhether Judas IscariotHad God on his side.
So now as I’m leavin’I'm weary as HellThe confusion I’m feelin’Ain’t no tongue can tellThe words fill my headAnd fall to the floorIf God’s on our sideHe’ll stop the next war.
Bob Dylan
—–
I’m ignorant. The words to express my sorrow over our los yet the pride I posess of being a fellow Wichitan have escaped my train of thought. I do feel selfish because my son returned from his tour in Iraq unharmed. I kind of feel guilty. That’s stupid ain’t it? I am so proud of my son and all the people our country has sent over there, yet I feel so indepted when one of our youngsters delivers the ultimate
I’m ignorant. The words to express my sorrow over our los yet the pride I posess of being a fellow Wichitan have escaped my train of thought. I do feel selfish because my son returned from his tour in Iraq unharmed. I kind of feel guilty. That’s stupid ain’t it? I am so proud of my son and all the people our country has sent over there, yet I feel so indepted when one of our youngsters delivers the ultimate
The Patriot Guard isn’t political?
Absolutely not. Patriot Guard, as an organization, has a mission statement of:
“Our mission is to honor our soldiers and show our deepest respects for the families of our fallen.”
Individual members support legislation or have their own opinions on issues, but the organization does not.
There is a time and a place to debate the war but when reapecting a fallen service member, this is not the place or the time. It is time to stop and pay respects to this soldier and this man for who he was and what he contributed to our country, his family and his community. It is time to pray to the God of your choice for his family and to comfort them. It is time to salute him for his service to all of us.
My heart is very heavy after learning that my friend, Bob Funcheon lost his only son, Ssgt. Alex to a roadside bomb in Iraq! I had the pleasure of playing golf with Bob as a member of the MacDonald’s mens golf league a few years back. Alex was just a teenager back then. Probably no more than 14 years old. What strikes me about this terrible tragedy is that Alex is the same age as my son. Bob was so proud of is kids and his son. Now, he will only have the memories to look upon. No words can ever erase the pain he and his wife Karen and daughter are suffering. I pray that I never have to go through what he is going through. It is far easier to say we support the war when we are not directly involved in the war. 38 years ago I was just leaving RVN. I spent 22 months there. My parents must have gone through a living hell…waiting for my safe return. Of course, young men and women always think they’ll make it. I was one of those who thought that. And I was one of the lucky ones who did make it. Now, it’s my turn to wonder if my son will enter the military and be shipped off to Iraq. When kids reach that age where you are no longer the deciding factor, then you have really become a parent. Then your faith is put to the test! May the good Lord bless the Bob Funcheon familly!!!