By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Cherry Hill Sun
A young Cherry Hill resident made the ultimate sacrifice on Saturday, Jan. 22, as Jeremy Kane was killed in action while stationed in Afghanistan.
The young lance corporal was shipped out to Afghanistan with his Marine unit this past October, said his mother Melinda Kane. He was killed in action when a suicide bomber attacked his unit.
Kane, 22, held a desire to join the armed forces after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, his mother said. But, he had always harbored an interest in the military as his father, Bruce, had served as a major in the Army and received his medical education through the Army. Unfortunately, Bruce died in June 2008 while Kane was receiving his Marine training.
Kane was even born on military ground, as he came into this world at Fort Polk, located in Louisiana. Despite the family’s military history — Melinda’s father had also served in the Marines — Melinda said the family hadn’t pushed Jeremy into serving his county and were nervous when he announced his intentions after graduating from Cherry Hill East High School in 2006.
“What solidified his interest was Sept. 11th. He was always very aware of what was going on in the world. At the end of his senior year he talked about his desire to join the Marines,” Melinda said. “As his parents we were very scared for him and we asked for him to wait on his decision, go college for a year and then decide. He enrolled in Towson University and eventually transferred to Rutgers Camden to be closer to his family.”
He enlisted with the Marines on Sept. 11, 2006, during his freshman year at Towson.
It was a surreal situation when she received the news of his death, Kane said, but truly hit home when she and members of the family traveled to Delaware last week to retrieve his body.
“It’s one thing to read about it, to hear about it, but when you see all the caskets coming off the plane containing the men and women who died for their country, it’s such a powerful image,” she said.
The outpouring of love and condolences from the Cherry Hill community, Kane said, and all throughout the country has been incredibly comforting. Kane said she had been contacted by mothers across the country who have lost children as well, offering their love and support during her time of need.
Cherry Hill isn’t known for its military presence, Kane said, but she hoped this death helps open people’s eyes to what’s happening to the young men and women serving their country overseas.
“He was just a 22-year-old guy from Cherry Hill who had a great life. He had his whole life ahead of him, had loving brothers, a close-knit family and friends,” Kane said. “He had everything to look forward to in life.”
Mayor Bernie Platt and council last week offered condolences to Melinda and her family.
“On Sunday, I was given the heartbreaking news that one of our native born sons gave the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan during his deployment in the war on terror,” Platt said. “Jeremy Kane was a dedicated patriot and deeply believed in public service. He believed serving in the military and protecting his country was the highest achievable honor. As a township, we were lucky to have a person with this kind of selfless commitment to our nation. He was a brave soldier that worked to protect the people of Cherry Hill and the citizens of our great country. Jeremy was a true hero and we will miss him.”
