KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports, classifieds-Region 8 family mourns their fallen soldier
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By Lauren Payne - bio | email feedback
JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) "He was going to settle in and try to make it "homey", and comfortable, and just get done," said Paul Brooks' mother, Barbara Brooks.
Barbara Brooks says she was looking forward to Paul getting done, and being home with his young family. It was for that young family that Paul joined the army, said Brooks. He wanted them to have a good life, she says. Even if providing for his family meant putting his own life at risk.
"His true mission...we don't know. He kept telling his daddy, I love you. I love you. I think he knew it was more dangerous and he wasn't going to tell us," said Brooks.
That mission, his final mission, whatever it was, proved to be fatal. A nightmare, Barbara says, that became reality, when two army officials knocked on her door Thursday afternoon and delivered a heartbreaking message.
"We're sorry to inform you that your son was killed in Iraq," said Brooks.
She says all she's been told is that her son was among three soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq. A harsh reality of war she says she's struggling with.
"I've always said, your kids outlive you. You do not bury a child, you shouldn't have to," said Brooks.
"I'm mad that it was someone like him. A good man, which they are all good men, but that's my brother....I don't know, it just kills me," said Paul's sister, Christy Sharp. Christy says the army matured her brother. She says she wants people to know how special her brother was to his family, and that he was proud of the job he was doing.
"The man that he became and the father that he was, the brother that he was at this point in his life, I respect him and I wanted everyone to know that they had a good guy here serving their country, and he loved it," said Brooks.
For Paul's mother, Barbara, she says for a while after hearing the news from her husband, she was still holding out hope this life changing moment was nothing more than a horrible mistake.
"When you see the guys in the suits come up, you know that they didn't make a mistake," said Brooks.
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