• John Braden •
• Originally published January 8, 2009 at 11:08 a.m., updated January 8, 2009 at 11:08 a.m.

David McCormick, 26, from Bay City, was killed near Baghdad, Iraq on April 28, 2008, making him the first person from Matagorda County to be killed in the war. Family and friends gathered at his mother’s home that week and had nothing but great things to say about the Bay City High School graduate of 2000. Mayor Richard Knapik, Judge Nate McDonald, Sheriff James Mitchell, Sheriff-elect Gary Mathis as well as several teachers from the Bay City School district also went to the McCormick residence to show their support for the family. McCormick always had a strong interest in history and his country, his family noted. “He always had an overwhelming sense of integrity and honor,” said his older sister Kristy Davis. McCormick was the youngest of four children and had a very strong relationship with each of his siblings. Family and church were also very important to McCormick, said his mother June McCormick. “He was always very patriotic, loyal and Texas proud,” she said. “He really loved his family and religion was a huge part of his life.” June McCormick was visited by a Gold Star mother that week at her home in Bay City, and the two spent their afternoon sharing stories of, among other things, the time they spent with their sons before the two men gave their lives for this country. McCormick met with Lois Winfrey, 85, who is the mother of PFC Johnnie Winfrey, a 20-year-old soldier who gave his life in Vietnam in 1965. Johnnie was also the first casualty from Matagorda County from that war. Lois is a member of the Gold Star Mothers, a program that dates back 80 years and consists solely of mothers who have lost a son or daughter in a war. According to their web site, the purpose of the Gold Star Mothers is not only to comfort family members during their times of loss, but also to help perpetuate the memory of those whose lives were sacrificed in war. “The Gold Star Mothers program is organized through our local VFW and when we heard about the McCormick’s loss, we wanted to personally bring her a care package to help the family as much as we could,” Winfrey said. “This hit my heart really hard because I know what [June McCormick] is going through and I want to help in any way I can.” Both David McCormick and Johnnie Winfrey belonged to the 101st airborne division and showed a strong sense of patriotism and honor, according to their family members. Along with the soldiers’ similarities, both mothers mentioned being really touched by the strong sense of community involvement and support they received from fellow Bay City residents during their times of need. “With all the help from the community, my family had everything taken care of,” Winfrey added. “And that’s what I want for this family. My heart really goes out to them. When the whole city pulls together like this you can really feel the love everybody has for one another. I’m very proud of this community.” Will McCormick, David’s older brother, said the McCormick family has really appreciated everything the city has done for the family. “Everybody has gone out of their way to reach out and we are very fortunate for that,” Will said. “We are so thankful and never dreamt of something like this before. It really is an honor to be a part of this community.” Will finished by saying, “This is exactly the kind of society that our troops are fighting for.”

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