PHILLIP DAVID MCNEILL

By Zach Durand

In the Society in which we live today, it is rare to find a teenager who cares so much for people, values the gift of life, and refuses to take life for granted. For Sergeant Phillip McNeill caring was just as easy as breathing. He could be our role model, since Phillip was a lot like us. He attended Sawgrass Springs Middle School and then graduated from JPT in 2002.

However, there was also something unique about Phillip, something we find too difficult to understand. He was overseas in Iraq fighting in the war against terror in Operation Iraqi Freedom. A war, any war threatens sudden and violent death; war, any war permeates existence, a constant and grim companion that sits next to soldiers at mealtime, accompanies them on missions, and watches them while they sleep.

Growing up in a family of Marines and Air Force Colonels he was no stranger to the armed forces. “He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps,” said his Uncle Lewis McNeill. Phillip enlisted in the army in January of 2003 and served six months in Iraq in 2004. Next, he was stationed in Fort Richardson in Alaska. McNeill volunteered last September for a second tour of duty in Iraq. His decision to go back stemmed from his deep-rooted passion for his country and for family traditions.

Phillip had it all planned out. He would return to Florida from Iraq in April 2007, and propose to his high school sweetheart, Cassandra Burress, and would then celebrate his home coming with his friends and family.

But that celebration would never happen. On January 20 th 2007 a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee killing Sergeant McNeill and seven other paratroopers. Phillip was twenty-two. He gave his youth; he gave his hopes and dreams; he gave his life to confront terrorism so that we would not have to face the potential horrors that he faced.

Let us take this time to honor the death of a fallen soldier, son, and the guy everyone loved. A moment of silence, please for a fallen hero.

(Pause)

Phillip’s most outstanding quality was his caring for others. No matter what

the situation, he always offered a vibrant persona and welcoming smile.

He was an automatic leader who would never leave a friend, family member, or soldier behind. Whenever his mother talked with him from across the world, he would always ask about his brother, father, friends, and everyone else close to him. One of her many fond memories that really described Phillip was the time she was telling Phillip that she was going to send him a care package and Phillip asked her if she could also send enough cookies and bed sheets for everyone in his unit. That compassion is rarely found in people nowadays.

Phillip loved music! Everything about it interested him. He wanted to know why artists wrote certain lyrics and penned certain kinds of melodies. He taught himself to play the guitar and though he loved all kinds of bands, his favorite was Metallica.

Phillip was mature for his age. He sought knowledge of world events and issues, asking himself what he could do to help.

One of the most important aspects of his life was his friends. A close friend Heather Smause recalls when he returned to South Florida after basic training. She was happy to surprise him with a cake, a box of S’mores and Pop Tarts. Also, before he was about to embark on his second tour of duty, Heather was there with a handmade dark-blue comforter to keep him warm. “Phil was always making everyone laugh” says another close friend, Jennifer Hartman. “He was always cracking jokes.”

The army gave him what he loved to do the most. That was helping people, said his father David McNeill. Therefore, while at home, he was involved in community activities, including an annual Haunted Hay Ride sponsored by the city of Coral Springs. He would start building scenery two months before the event!

His favorite subjects at Taravella were science and history. He loved learning about new things and was very curious about the world. He was also a voracious reader who adored classics, such as Crime and Punishment, and the Harry Potter series.

He was also a thrill- seeker. He enjoyed going out on his dad’s boat and tubing, and of course riding the wild coasters at Universal Studios and at other theme parks. He always found ways to stay active and to entertain himself, to always get the most out of life.

Phillip McNeill was a hero to his family, friends, fellow soldiers and to his community. While in the corps he earned a medal, the Purple Heart, for his accomplishments. He knew the risks, but he took them to help his country.

As former President Ronald Reagan once said, “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but our Soldiers don't have that problem.”

The memory of Phillip David McNeill will linger in our hearts and in these halls forever!