Hickey, Julie R.

Julie Rochelle Hickey

Galloway, Ohio

Feather Location: Row I, #08

Mydeathspace.com

…Hickey's mother, Melody Hickey, said her daughter joined the reserves after graduating from Westland High School in 2002. She wanted to earn money for college and had been planning to start at Ohio State University last fall when she learned she was to be deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. She left for Afghanistan in November.

Hickey's unit, the 412th Civil Affairs Battalion, is based in suburban Whitehall. The unit specializes in humanitarian assistance and working with displaced civilians, according to its Web site.  "She loved her job," Melody Hickey said. "She was working at a medical clinic assisting children, mostly. She would teach them personal hygiene. She taught them a little English -- how to count from one to 10 and say 'Groovy, man!'"…

…"She had given several speeches to women's organizations there about how women need to stand up and fight for their rights," Melody Hickey said. "One of the women came to see her afterward and told her through an interpreter that it made them happy to see Julie wearing pants and working beside men. She said it gave them hope for the future." …

…"I think it's comforting. It was appropriate," she said. "She told everybody when she was home that you need to appreciate everything you have. We have so much here just because we were born (in the United States)." …

Carver:  Joe Seaver Lives in Galloway and is a member of the Columbus Chippers.

Wood:  Maple