The body of a Georgia National Guard soldier returned home Monday, August 12, 2024. A plane carrying his body landed at the East Georgia Regional Airport in Swainsboro, with a procession to Chapman Funeral Home. Some members of the public met the plane at the airport and others lined the streets to pay their respects. Signs along the route honored the late soldier with messages such as, We promise never to forget. “It’s the ultimate responsibility, honoring the one that made the ultimate sacrifice, a responsibility to pay respects to someone who has lost their life in the service of the country,” said retired Air National Guard Darryl Drake.
Elliott was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, based in Savannah. That unit began a Middle East deployment in December, focusing on air defense artillery. Owen James Elliott, 23, died Wednesday, July 31, in Baghdad, in a non-combat related incident.
