Denver, CO, US
U.S. Army
SSG, B CO 5TH BN 19TH SFG, FORT CARSON, CO
09/21/2013, GARDEZ, Afghanistan
SSG Liam Jules Nevins moved as a boy with his mother and two older sisters from NH to Bristol, PA. In high school he excelled at sports, but Liam’s dream was to be a member of the Army Special Forces. Once he graduated in 2000, Liam went straight into the military.
“He was single-minded about that,” Victoria Nevins, his mother explained. “I was letting him be who he truly wanted to be.”
Having served several combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Liam took a break to attend college in Colorado. He also worked as a landscaper and as a member of the security team for the Denver Broncos. Liam’s appreciation of the Colorado landscape and his adventuresome spirit allowed him to devote time to snowboarding, backpacking and a variety of other outdoor sports. But he wanted something more in his life, and decided to join the Colorado National Guard and began training to become a Green Beret.
In 2013, SSG Nevins redeployed to Afghanistan. During this tour Liam was shot in the arm during a battle. He refused evacuation for treatment, and instead stoically lived near his unit while he healed. Once his arm healed he returned to active duty. On September 21st, a month before he was due to return home, he and two other American soldiers were killed in a “green-on-blue” attack by a gunman dressed in an Afghan National Security Force uniform. SSG Nevins was given a hero’s burial. It was an exceptional event.
Victoria Nevins commented about her son’s funeral,”He had a warrior-prince funeral. It was unbelievable,” she added. “It’s very essential that people know there are still young men and women dying there, serving their nation. They all should be honored with this majesty.”
According to William Nevins, Liam’s father, Liam was not only adventurous and physically capable of almost anything, but he was a writer, thinker and avid reader who loved Bob Marley. He frequently expressed concern about the welfare and education of the Afghan people. He was very aware of the world and its potential and weaknesses. “Liam was definitely a scholar,” his father said.
“Courage is the finest of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.” Winston Churchill