Fallen Soldiers and Heroes

Joshua Dingler, 19, of Hiram, Georgia, died in Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on August 15, 2005. His death was not in vain. He died serving our country. What defined Joshua was his life, how he lived. Joshua was the son of a pastor, Tommy Dingler. His mother had just taken on the roll of his Army unit’s family support group leader when his family learned of his death. He left behind a younger brother, Samuel. When he was a young boy, Joshua played Little League baseball. He was a Boy Scout who earned the rank Life Scout, and in middle school he went to Australia and New Zealand as a student ambassador for People 2 People. He helped out at church and volunteered at the sound booth. He was JROTC at East Paulding High School in Hiram, GA., where he was known and loved by everyone he came in contact with. He would defend NASCAR to anyone who questioned it as a sport. He planned to come home and marry his high school love. He wanted to be a history teacher. Joshua left behind a girl he planned to marry. He went into battle proud to help a nation find freedom, and in his brief life he was known for the way he helped other people. Joshua Dingler was remembered by an entire city at his funeral. Thousands of people lined Highway 92 from the Pickett’s Mill Baptist Church to the cemetery the day of his memorial service. People holding flags, men saluting from the bed of a truck, and endless rows of men and women with their hands over their hearts. A tribute to Joshua appears in Karen Kingsbury's novel, Ever After.