WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | Manchester Soldier Killed in Action

Manchester Soldier Killed in Action

Twenty-five-year-old Army Specialist Benjamin Bartlett, Jr. was killed in Iraq Sunday by a rocket-propelled grenade.

He was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, as a fire support specialist assigned to the Second Battalion, Seventh Cavalry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team of the First Cavalry Division.

Many of Bartlett's friends in his hometown of Manchester, Georgia, are shocked and saddened by the news of his death.  It's Manchester first loss of the Iraq War.

Known as Trey by his friends, Bartlett was known as shy, but always nice to everyone.

"Very quiet, very, kind of shy. You had to know him to get him to talk to you," said Tara Davis, a family friend.

A 2000 graduate of Flint River Academy, Bartlett worked at this hardware store in high school.

"He was a fine young fellow, he came from a good family in town," said Lee Taylor, Bartlett's former boss.

Taylor says the Bartlett family was stricken by tragedy in recent years.

"His mother died at an early age, he had a sister that died, and his father just died earlier this year," Taylor said, and added that both of Bartlett's grandparents have also passed away.

"You almost thought he was going to be over there and be okay, because how much more can happen?" Tara Davis asked.

Davis and her family knew Trey for most of his life. Her younger brother, Lance, was Trey's best friend.

She says coping with the loss of his family was difficult for him, but he found a new purpose in his life by serving his country.

"He found a place, he found a home, he had pride for his country, and that's what I believe he was meant to do," she said.

Davis says she finds comfort in knowing that Trey is in a better place, with the people he loved the most.

"It's heartbreaking for the rest of us, but his whole family is together now," she said.

Funeral plans for Specialist Benjamin "Trey" Bartlett have not been finalized. His extended family is waiting for his remains to be returned to the U.S., which could take about a week.

Meanwhile, Spc. Bartlett has been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.