Private John McKenzie Henderson Jr. May 7, 1984- August 4, 2005 COLUMBUS, GA— PVT John McKenzie Henderson, Jr. died on a combat mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom north and east of the city of Jalalabad, Konar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, GA. Funeral services , with full military honors, will be held 11:00 A.M. Saturday, August 13, 2005 at St. Anne Catholic Church with Father Gerard Schreck officiating, according to Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Macon Road. Burial will follow in Parkhill Cemetery. A Rosary will be said this evening at 6:00 P.M. at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Macon Road Chapel with visitation following the Rosary. The active pallbearers will be John Strupe, David Eversman, Brad Davenport, David O'Brien, Drew Godwin, John Bucholtz, SPEC. Anthony Stark, 82d Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC., and PFC Thomas Powers, 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Ft. Lewis, WA. Honorary pallbearers will are members of the 3d Btn., 75th Ranger Reg't. John was born May 7, 1984 at Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, GA, the son of John and Sue Henderson who survive. Also surviving are his sisters, Amy Henderson of Columbus, GA and Sarah Henderson of New York City, NY. He attended St. Anne School and Pacelli High School, graduating in 2002. He was president of his senior class and played football at Pacelli. He was an accomplished motocross racer and loved hunting and the outdoors. After graduating from high school John attended Truett McConnell College and Gainesville College in Athens, GA. Entering the Army in December, 2004, he completed One Stop Training in the 2d Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment and directly proceeded to the U.S. Army Airborne School in the 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. After Airborne graduation he volunteered for the Ranger Indoctrination Program and after graduating from RIP he was assigned to the 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. All of this infantry training took place at Fort Benning, GA. His military awards and decorations include; the marksmanship medal, the grenade expert medal, the infantry blue shoulder cord, the parachutist badge (Airborne Wings), the National Defense medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service medal, the Army Service ribbon, and the 75th Ranger Regiment scroll shoulder patch. He was posthumously awarded the Army Commendation medal, the Army Good Conduct medal, the Afghanistan Campaign medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge. He was preceded in death by both grandfathers, James R. Gregory and George S. Henderson, Sr., both of Oil City, PA. In addition to being survived by his parents, he is survived by his older sisters, Amy Henderson of Columbus, GA and Sarah Henderson of New York City, NY. Both grandmothers, many aunts and uncles, any many more cousins, as well as a great number of local and distant friends join the immediate family in their grieving. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Private John McKenzie Henderson, Jr. Scholarship Fund at Pacelli Catholic High School. To celebrate with life of Private John McKenzie Henderson, Jr. please visit www.mem.com or visit www.striffler-hamby.com to sign the on-line guest registry.