Reynoldsburg Loses Two Sons In Combat

In September, the City or Reynoldsburg lost two of its sons in the line of duty: Tech Sergeant Titus Reynolds and Eric Lee Pryor. Both individuals graduated from Reynoldsburg High School. We will miss them.

Tech Sergeant Titus Reynolds

On September 24th, Sergeant Reynolds was killed along with two other soldiers near Omar Zai, Afghanistan by a roadside IED (improvised explosive device) that detonated next to his Stryker vehicle. A part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Reynolds, a 23-year old artillery specialist, was on his first deployment, attached to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. He had joined the Army in November, 2005 after graduating from Reynoldsburg High School, and had married in October of last year. Titus arrived in Afghanistan in July after having been promoted to sergeant the month before.

Obituary: Sgt. Titus Reynolds, 23, laid down his life for his country on Wednesday, September 24, 2009 in Afghanistan. He was more than a soldier; he was a soul mate, a son, a brother, a friend and a true American hero. Titus was raised in Columbus, Ohio and met his wife Nikki when they were 13. They drifted in and out of contact throughout their teenage years but fell in love at the age of 20. He was a devoted husband who lived for the quiet moments he could spend with her. He was a beloved son and caring friend. His sense of humor lifted the spirits of his friends and brothers-in-arms who worked and fought with him. His strength of character supported those he loved and his belief in God and country is the legacy he leaves to those around him. He had an easy smile and a boyish charm and he fully believed in what he was fighting for in Afghanistan. Though he is not with us anymore, he lives on in the heart of his wife and those who love him. He is with God and may he finally know peace. Titus is survived by his wife, Dominique (Nikki), his parents Rod and Elizabeth, his siblings Rachel, Johnny, and Markie, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins."

Titis, according to his dad Rod Reynolds, was a good musician, and often played electric lead and bass guitar at their church. Neighbors remembered Titus as a handsome, likeable youth. One was quoted as saying, "Titus would do anything for you. He was nice and mannerly, such a sweet kid." He and his wife Nikki would have celebrated their first anniversary on October 12th.

Titus was buried on Saturday. October 10th. Official flags were flown at half mast, as ordered by Governor Ted Strickland two days before. The funeral was held at the Reynoldsburg Church of the Nazarene at 10:30 a.m. His motorcade then slowly proceeded eastward along E. Main Street, solidly crowded with sympathetic and supporting onlookers waving American flags, and escorted by dozens of Patriot Guard riders, to the Glen Rest Memorial Estate. There, he was buried with full military honors, after posthumously being awarded four medals, including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

Sympathizers lined up along Glen Rest cemetery.

VFW and American Legion members of the Patriot Guard escorted Titus to his final resting place, preceeding his hearse.

His last ride: The limousine carrying Sgt. Titus Reynolds, accompanied by his grieving family, enters Glen Rest.

As the medals were presented to the Reynolds family, our own post 1st Vice Commander, Pete Margaritis, standing some 50 feet away from the funeral canopy, happened to look down and saw that he was standing next to the grave of another veteran named Lewis Hall, an Army Tech 5 sergeant as Titus had been. Hall had died in combat at Guadalcanal on January 13, 1943, after refusing an order to withdraw during a Japanese attack, staying behind to fire his machine gun at the advancing enemy. Lewis Hall was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Roosevelt and buried next to his brother Alfred (who had served valiantly in World War I). Gazing down at the graves of the two brothers, Margaritis nodded and commented to Don Gentile Post 532 commander Bernie Brogan standing next to him, "Titus is in good company."

"He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent,
nay, more present than the living man."                     ---Antoine de Saint Éxupéry

Eric Lee Pryor, USMC

OBITUARY: "Eric Lee Pryor, 21 years old, died on September 30, 2009. Eric is survived by his parents, George and Ginny Pryor; a sister and brother-in-law, Jessica and Brian Peacock (Huntsville, Alabama); grandparents, Don and Shirley Smith (Dover, Ohio); and Marilyn Pryor (New Philadelphia, Ohio), as well as several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Eric was a 2006 graduate of Reynoldsburg High School, a former Marine, and he loved people and did not know a stranger. He loved to make people laugh and had a passion for cooking – he worked at several places throughout his short life time that involved cooking or simply being in a kitchen. He was most recently employed as a chef at the Oakhurst Country Club in Grove City. We will never know what was going through Eric’s mind at this time in his life but simply pray that he has found peace and comfort being with his Lord."

Eric's funeral was October 3rd  at the Pickerington Church of Christ.

Be near me when my light is low... And all the wheels of being slow.
---Alfred Lord Tennyson