School District Honors a Fallen Hero

Boy Scout Russell Brown, Jr.and Terry Hess

On April 11, 2006, U.S. Army Sgt. Kenneth Dale Hess sacrificed his life on the front lines of the Iraq War. Sgt. Hess’ father Terry, the senior supervisor of transportation for Buncombe County Schools in Asheville, N.C., remembers his son as an avid outdoorsman,
a fan of fast cars and cookouts, and someone who could make you laugh without even cracking a smile.

“He could lift you up when you were down, “ said Hess. “I remember watching him play T-ball when he was younger; it was a real joy to see him out there. Losing him is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with.”

To commend his bravery and service during his almost two years in Iraq, the transportation department recently erected a plaque in Sgt. Hess’ honor on the flagpole in front of the district’s transportation facility, which is also a recent addition. The death of one of the department employee’s own sons made the staff conscious of the absence of a symbol of support for the nation’s men and women who are currently serving in Iraq.

“I didn’t know anything about the plaque until just before it was put up. I had wanted a flag pole, and Harold Laflin, our transportation director, came up with a design for the planter and the plaque,” said Hess.

After learning of the plans, Russell Brown Jr., a Boy Scout and junior at North Buncombe High School, volunteered to build the planter as part of his Eagle Scout leadership service project. The memorial landscape, which consists of a brick planter filled with shrubs and flowers, was constructed by Brown and the members of Troop 15.

“I was just overjoyed to have something like that,” said Hess. “I miss my son greatly; there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. He is my hero.”