Mother: I don't blame the military

HOKE COUNTY (WTVD) -- Another Heart of Carolina mother is grieving the loss of her son who died in a combat zone.

Gifford Hurt died in a non-combat related accident in Iraq. His remains are being flown to Pope Air Force Base later in the week.

"Well, he was a passenger on a Humvee," Hurt's mother Lisa Davis said. "The driver was also a PFC like himself. And to my knowledge he lost control of the vehicle. My son was thrown and he died at the scene.

Davis is a retired 20 year veteran of the US Army - she said it was a career her son had hoped to duplicate.

"Right out of high school he wanted to join, I was all for it," Davis said. "He just loved the military. He didn't want to go to college right then. He just wanted to go straight into the Army."

The 19-year-old did just that. His high school ROTC training helped him earn the rank of Private First Class when he joined.

"I don't blame the military, because I love it ... I love it," Davis said. "It's not their fault. It was just an accident."

She says she wants to tell other mothers who have children down range to just keep the faith.

"I don't understand why it happened, I never will," she said. "But I know things happen for a reason."

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=7240789



This story was reported 1/26/2010 - I would like to add also as a prior servicemember I would agree with this mother to always keep the faith. God Bless her and her family.