Local soldier killed In Afghanistan - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Local soldier killed In Afghanistan

Posted: Updated:
By Sherrie Evans - bio | email

A local woman is heartbroken over the loss of her son in Afghanistan. Private First Class Julian Colvin was one of two soldiers killed by an IED Sunday.

Colvin was a Para-trooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He had already served one year of a three year deployment. He was in the ROTC in High school and was excited about joing the army. His mother, showed a lot of strength just talking about him. Not only did he love serving his country, he loved his family, his community in Birmingham and life itself.

Beryl Carrington remembers her nephew. "He felt it was something he was born to do, he was born to serve his country." "My baby had two months" Carla Colvin could not wait for her son Julian to come home from Afghanistan. "He called me about a week ago and said mom, I just want you to talk to me." They had a bond so strong, this mom couldn't get mad at his tattoo with her name. But Monday, came heartbreak from a Chaplain. "It was one of these visits, you're never prepared for them. It was extra hard, my family was present in numbers."

Private First Class Julian Colvin, just 21, was a combat engineer. His job was to detect and detonate bombs. "I'm very proud of my son, he developed very strong leadership skills, he understood the role." And the danger. Colvin and another paratrooper were killed by an IED.

"Our babies are getting killed over there for a war that people don't comprehend." Carla says her son's casket was among three others Tuesday. It was a moment of grief shared with other families. "Charity begins in the home first then it spreads abroad, We need our soldiers in the U.S."

Carla Colvin says her son will be receiving the purple heart and some other medals for his service. Funeral arrangements have not been made at this time.