278th
May 26, 2005

Eagan, Campbell County (WVLT) - As we first reported at noon on Thursday, another East Tennessee serviceman has died in the line of duty.

33-year-old Barton Siler from Campbell County died Wednesday in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in flipped over.

Siler was part of the 278th in Jacksboro Tennessee, but spent his entire life in the close community of Eagan, on the Kentucky--Tennessee state line.

Volunteer TV's Stacy McCloud spent the morning with Siler’s family.

Siler's family says he was the only serviceman from his community of Eagan fighting in Iraq and is the first to die from his unit in Jacksboro.

Family of the 1989 Jellico High School graduate say there is no doubt he'll be missed but are proud that his legacy will live on.

"It's just not real. It's not real," says Ann Allen, Barton's mother.

Thirty-three year old Barton Siler had only been in Iraq six months and his family was anxiously awaiting his trip home on leave.

"He was due home the last of May or early June,” says Ann.

It's not the way his mother imagined, but her son is coming home.

"The last conversation I had with him he said ‘mom I’m ready to come out of this place’, so he's out. It hurts and it's gonna hurt it's going to you know,” Ann says.

And what makes it even harder is all that Barton leaves behind.

"She’ll always know who her daddy is,” says Jenny Siler, Barton's ex-wife.

And then there is 3-year-old Mikkah. While it hurts the family to know she will grow up without her father, they say through her eyes we’ll always be able to see Barton, a hard working, loving, yet modest man that valued family and cherished his little girl.

"The entire time he's been gone he's promised to take her to the beach. That's all she's been waiting on and now he's not gonna get to take her,” says Jenny.

Though she'll never take that special trip her family says their memories of Barton will always help her know who he is. They also hope to teach her that god has a way of making things happen for the good, even when it's hard to see.

"She has no dad now, but through memories I think things will work out, but i know my life will never be the same,” adds Ann.

"Freedom isn't free. Somebody has gotta die for us to keep living and my little girl is still here and her daddy is gone. It shouldn't be like that,” says Jenny.

Siler’s family says the most important thing the community can do to help the family is keep them in their prayers and remember that so many of our men and women are still fighting for our country. They say as the months have passed they feel our service men and women have been forgotten.

No word yet on when Siler’s body will be returned to his home in Campbell County but we will continue to follow this family.

Story Copyright to WVLT Volunteer TV