Wai'anae soldier is laid to rest
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
It was clear by the end of the funeral for Pfc. Joshua Kuile Paul Titcomb yesterday that in a short life, the soldier who was killed Sept. 29 in Iraq had touched many hearts.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
Laura McCord, Titcomb's fiancee, was also with the 2nd Infantry Division stationed in South Korea, where the two met. McCord, pregnant with Titcomb's child, said the brief time she shared with him was the happiest of her life.
Elizabeth Titcomb, with her husband, Tennison, and other loved ones, kisses the flag-draped coffin of son Pfc. Joshua Kuile Paul Titcomb, who was killed Sept. 29 in Iraq. Pfc. Titcomb's funeral was held yesterday at Sacred Hearts Church in Wai'anae. In addition to his parents and siblings, Titcomb leaves behind his fiancee, who is pregnant with his child.
"He was so happy when he found out he was going to be a dad," she said, choking back the tears. "I know he knows I will always love him and that he will always be my one and only true love."
Titcomb's parents, Tennison and Elizabeth, clustered together with their eight children, ages 28 through 1, and other family members on the front pews and tried to make sense of their loss.
Few of the approximately 150 people who attended the services at Sacred Hearts Church in Wai'anae were not moved to tears — even though some had known Titcomb for only a short time, or hardly at all.
Folks tried to pinpoint what had attracted them to the fun-loving rascal who was only 20 when his life suddenly ended.
There was Jared Johnson, who wept openly as he described his best friend as "a free spirit with a natural charm.
"The Lord called Josh for a reason, one that we will never understand," Johnson said.
It was while vacationing in Honolulu in 2001 that Johnson and his girlfriend, Lindsey Newsom, both of Lexington, Ky., happened to ask Titcomb for directions. He not only gave directions, he gave them a tour of town. From the moment they met, Titcomb and Johnson became such pals that Titcomb soon packed his bags and moved to Lexington.
Pfc. Titcomb
There was Army Sgt. Larson Miral, who marched down the aisle before the start of the funeral, placed his hand on Titcomb's casket, snapped to attention and saluted.
"I didn't know him at all," said Miral, who recently came back from Iraq and will be returning again soon. "I just read about him in the paper."
Titcomb, who grew up in Wai'anae, joined the Army in Kentucky in August 2003 and went through training at Fort Knox, Ky. He was assigned as a tank crewman to the 2nd Battalion, 72nd Armor Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division stationed in South Korea. In August this year he was sent to Iraq.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
On Sept. 28, Titcomb was critically injured by a make-shift bomb in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He died the next day.
Among the pall bearers for Pfc. Joshua Titcomb were friend Jared Johnson, left, and uncle Todd Titcomb, right. After the funeral at Sacred Hearts Church in Wai'anae, Titcomb was buried with military honors at the Hawai'i State Veterans Cemetery in Kane'ohe.
Because Titcomb's Army unit was assigned to the 1st Marine Division in Iraq, Marine Lt. Joshua Gibbs of Camp Pendleton, Calif., attended the funeral as a representative of the Corps. Even Gibbs was moved by the soldier he'd never known.
"In his heart he decided to dedicate his life to the pursuit of helping those in need," he said. "And when his country needed him, he was gladly there. We, as the Marines, share the loss."
Following the funeral, Titcomb received a hero's burial with military honors at the Hawai'i State Veterans Cemetery in Kane'ohe. There, he was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
But it was during the funeral that folks came to understand how one outgoing young private had affected the lives of people all around him.
Tennison Titcomb said that from the very beginning, his son had a way of making trouble — though his motives were generally well-intentioned.
"He was real naughty, and always getting into something," he said. "Everybody knew that about him."
Another thing everyone seemed to know was that Titcomb's love and loyalty to family, friends and country never wavered. They also agree that in the Army, he had found a purpose. And in that purpose he was becoming a man.
"It's terrible loss," he said. "My wife and I really miss him and love him. And, we won't get those phone calls any more. But, we know that what he did was for us."
Mostly, he wanted everyone to know, "I'm proud of him."
Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.
