Bradley Skelton: He took someone else's place

Staff Sgt. Bradley Skelton wasn't supposed to be in Iraq in February 2008.

His military career had ended, and he had lived through a tour of duty in Iraq before.

But when the 1138th Engineer Co. of the Missouri Army National Guard got its order to mobilize as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Skelton felt a tug.

Family and friends said he knew many of the soldiers preparing to deploy to the war zone, and he believed his experience could help.

A single man, Skelton, 40, told others he would take the place of someone who had a spouse and children. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

Charlie and Carrie Skelton have a memorial to their nephew, Brad Skelton, at their Gordonville home.Southeast Missourian

A cousin, Steve Skelton, said Bradley Skelton mentioned a specific soldier in whose stead he would return to Iraq.

"He just felt an opportunity calling for him to go to keep somebody else from having to go over there," he explained. "If you knew Brad, you would understand what his motives were for a lot of things."

And so, Bradley Skelton did what he felt like he had to: He volunteered.

On Feb. 6, 2008, in Baghdad, the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb.

He died.

Carrie Skelton, right, dabs at her eyes while standing with her husband Charlie at the grave of their nephew Bradley Skelton Friday afternoon, February 6, 2009, at Christ Lutheran Church cemetery in Gordonville. More than 70 people attended the memorial service for Skelton, who died when hit by an IED while serving in Iraq one year ago. Skelton's cousins Bryan Skelton, left, and his father Keith Skelton.Southeast Missourian

In the hours leading up to Bradley Skelton's death, half a world away from Iraq, violent storms wreaked havoc in Southeast Missouri. Todd Blattel, Skelton family friend, said he and his wife were attending a basketball game at Saxony Lutheran High School that night and spent part of the evening in a locker room after authorities issued a tornado warning for the area. The next day, the call came with news of the soldier's death, even as he and many others in the area had begun rebuilding and repair in the storm's aftermath.

A freak ice storm then pummeled the region, compounding logistical challenges in advance of the soldier's funeral.

Blattel said those organizing visitation and funeral events faced no shortage of people willing to help, including those who served with Bradley Skelton on the Gordonville Volunteer Fire Department.

Steve Skelton said the funeral procession from Saxony Lutheran's gymnasium to Christ Lutheran Cemetery in Gordonville was immense.

"It was one massive procession. You would not believe all the vehicles," he said.

Blattel noted hundreds of people lined the roadways for the procession.

"There were people who didn't know him standing in the cold," he said.

Bradley Skelton continues to affect people's lives to this day.

"You see somebody ... like, I see Todd, and just in talking, Brad will pop up in conversation," Steve Skelton, himself a Guard veteran who served in Iraq, said. "Especially with Memorial Day coming up, it involves a trip up to the cemetery."

Blattel said meeting others who knew Bradley Skelton has resulted in a spiderweb of friendships.

"These guys from the Guard who knew him -- I've gotten to know these guys. I've become friends with his friends. We've got a bond now," he explained.

Another friend, Ross Gartman, honored Bradley Skelton by working with lawmakers to develop the state's Heroes Way program. It allows highway signs commemorating military members who died in service to the country.

"He was a jovial, fun-loving guy to be around, that's for sure," Steve Skelton said, recalling his cousin's requirement of specific cookies on fishing trips.

Blattel agreed.

"He was always smiling, making the best out of whatever situation it was. I've never been around a more upbeat guy. He was just always fun to be around," he said.

Blattel added that Bradley Skelton's easy-going demeanor belied his expertise at soldiering and firefighting.

"There was nobody I wanted to be on a [fire] scene with more than Brad. Brad knew how to fight fires, and it's the same way those guys talk about in the Guard. He was the guy you wanted with you."