Photo by Charmain Z. Brackett Brig. Gen. Jeffrey W. Foley, Fort Gordon commanding general and Chief of Signal, speaks at the memorial service for Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow (image at right) at Alexander Hall on Nov. 19. First Sgt. Jonathan Schein called the roll, and Soldiers stood at attention responding “here!” When Schein reached the name of Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow, however, there was silence except for the sound of inconsolable sobbing of DeCrow’s widow, Marikay.

On Nov. 19, Alexander Hall was filled with Soldiers and civilians who came to honor the life of DeCrow, one of the Nov. 5 shooting victims at Fort Hood, Texas.

“Fort Gordon and the Augusta community was DeCrow’s military home,” said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey W. Foley, Fort Gordon’s commanding general and chief of signal.

Of his 13 years in the military, eight of them were spent at Fort Gordon. Among his assignments were tactical satellite instructor with the 447th Signal Battalion and senior tactical satellite instructor with the 551st Signal Battalion.

Although Foley never met DeCrow, Foley said he felt as though he had come to know DeCrow over the past few days as Foley met friends and family of the slain Soldier.

“He had an infectious smile and laugh,” said Foley, who recounted a few examples of DeCrow’s sense of humor.

While at Fort Gordon, he’d sometimes put peanut butter on his boss’s phone’s receiver and then call his boss.

Then, there was the cat dance video on You Tube.

“That is absolutely the stupidest video I have ever seen,” said Foley, who thought the only reason DeCrow would play it was to get a reaction from those around him.

Some of those DeCrow served with at Fort Gordon took time to remember him as a loving husband and father and a giving and caring man who lived to make others happy.

Master Sgt. Katherine M. Coull of the 551st Signal Battalion read comments posted about DeCrow on a Facebook tribute page while Sgt. 1st Class Donald Chazelle told about his friend.

“He worried about the small things. He was a giver,” he said. “He could bring out the best in anyone. He made everyone’s life he touched better.”

DeCrow, a native of Indiana, joined the military in March 1996. He was assigned to the 16th Signal Co., 62nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion as a senior satellite installer and was preparing to deploy to Iraq when he was killed.