Deerfield native Staff Sgt. Bryan Pitney served 14 years in the United States Army that included three tours in Iraq and three tours in Afghanistan. Ten days after returning stateside from his last military assignment, the young father was killed in a motorcycle accident while on active duty in Burnet County, Texas, on Oct. 19, 2014, near where he was stationed at Fort Hood.
On Dec. 19, 2015, family member and cousin Lloyd Pitney of Tennessee, a Vietnam veteran along with his wife drove to Deerfield to place a wreath on the younger Pitney’s grave in the township cemetery. Just the couple along with Bryan Pitney’s parents, Dan and Bonnie, his widow Christina and two of his children Callie and Bryson were there.
All across the country this December veterans’ organizations have placed wreaths on veterans graves primarily in the national cemeteries to remember them during the Christmas and holiday season as part of Wreaths Across America.
For the complete story by Melissa Burnor, please see the Dec. 23, 2015, edition of The Advance.