Hampton County gave another native son to war last week.
Sgt. First Class John H. Jarrell, 32, of Brunson, died July 15 while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
According to the Department of Defense, Jarrell died in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. According to initial reports, Jarrell died of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol with an improvised explosive device.
His family was notified Friday, and they are still in shock.
"To open that door Thursday and see those two soldiers standing on my porch, I knew exactly what they were there for," said Maude Duff, Jarrell's mother. "My son was an awesome, awesome soldier. He did not lose his life, he gave his life for all of us."
Jarrell was assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Also killed in the attack was Sgt. Leston M. Winters, 30, of Sour Lake, Texas.
Jarrell was a highly decorated airborne assault infantryman. Just days after graduating from Wade Hampton High School, he enlisted in the Army in June of 1996. After a 14-year career that included two tours in South Korea, two in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan, he went to Fort Campbell in July 2009.
His awards and decorations include:
The Bronze Star Medal with Valor device, the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Parachute Badge, Air Assault Badge, Drivers Mechanic Badge with Driver Tracked Vehicles, and Weapons Qualification, M4, Expert.
He is survived by a wife, Wendi, also a former soldier and veteran of the war in Iraq whom he met in the Army; a daughter, Emma, of Clarksville, Tenn.; a son, Brantley, of Sweeny, Texas; and his parents, Maude and Larry Duff of Nixville, and Bobby Dean and Patricia Jarrell, also of Nixville.
The son of a large Hampton County family, he is also survived by several siblings, including Lisa Winn (Roger), Dean Jarrell, Jessica Jarrell, and Casey Long of Columbia, along with several nephews and nieces.
Burial will be at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West, but no date has been set.

Born to be a soldier
His mother recalls that even as a small boy, Jarrell loved playing with toy soldiers.
"He loved his country, and he loved the military with all his heart," said Duff. "He died doing what he loved best, what he truly believed in."
After high school, his family enjoyed precious little time with him.
"He was a very special young man who loved serving our country, and because of this service we had limited amounts of time to spend with each other for the past 14 years," said his father, Bobby Dean Jarrell.
Jarrell grew up almost in his uncle Haskell Seegars' backyard. Seegers, an Army veteran who fought in Vietnam, lost his right arm during combat about 40 miles north of Saigon in a place called Song Bay. He described the fallen soldier as a great kid who was always on the go.
"He was doing what he loved, and he loved what he was doing," he said. "He was dedicated to the service and when he put that uniform on, he was all business. He was going to make a career out of it, and he only had about six years to retire."
Seegers said that he plans to make sure the name John Jarrell is added to the Hampton County All Wars Memorial.
"I will make sure he is honored in Hampton County. I will make sure of that. They had better start chiseling."
The Hampton County Council extended its condolences to Jarrell's family during its meeting Monday night,
"This county has truly lost one of its sons," said County Council Chairman Hugh Gray.
Jarrell's cousin, Alan Winn, has served in the 741st Quartermaster's Battalion for more than 10 years and recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan. He said that because the two were only four years apart they felt more like brothers than cousins.
"He was the best soldier I've ever known," he said. "He was a good man, a good father, a good soldier, and you couldn't ask for a better friend. He was just a really great person, all around."
Family members also describe him as a country boy who loved the Georgia Bulldogs, hunting, fishing, rock crawling, and mud bogging.
"He loved to hunt and fish, and he worked at Piggly Wiggly all through high school, but he was career military, that's all he ever wanted to do," said cousin Wendy Jarrell. "That's how he lived his life, he wanted to serve our country."
Jarrell added that, in his high school yearbook under 10-year goal, he wrote "Army."
Jake Sullivan, one of his classmates at Wade Hampton and a boyhood friend, described him as just a "good old country boy" who loved hunting and fishing.
"He always had a big smile on his face, and he had this contagious laugh," he said. "He never had any trouble with anybody, and you couldn't ask for a friendlier person. It's hard to lose someone like that."
Jarrell's classmates are already organizing for a memorial, say family.

A local family in mourning
The one thing John Jarrell will always be remembered for is his unique smile, family members say.
"He was my heart, my sunshine, with that smile," said his mother. "My son was an awesome, awesome soldier, and an awesome person.
"I'll always remember his smile, he had this beaming smile," said Wendy Jarrell. "He was a people person, and he loved his family. And he was our hero."
"And I personally would like to thank everyone who prayed, visited, and sympathized for us," said Lisa Winn. "This is a very hard time for the family and everything that was done was and still is greatly appreciated."
Duff said that within an hour of getting the news of her son's death, her front yard was filled with concerned friends, family, neighbors, and people she didn't even know. People called and brought food.
"All the support has just been wonderful," she said. "Just pray for us, prayer is the best thing anyone can do for us right now. The worst is yet to come, when we have to say that final goodbye, and prayer will get us through the next few days."
Duff had a few words for the community that has shown her family so much support.
"Remember him as not just a soldier, but as a native of Hampton County. He loved his family, but he loved his country and he gave his life so that we could be free. That freedom is not free."