RICHMOND, VA, USA U.S. Army SSG, COMPANY D, 2D BATTALION, 69TH ARMOR REGIMENT, FORT BENNING, GA MUALAMEEN, IRAQ 06/23/2007
Although he was born June 13, 1976 in Baltimore, Maryland, Michael Dean Moody, Jr. grew up in Chesterfield County, Virginia between Richmond and Petersburg. At an early age he joined Broad Rock Baptist Church in Richmond. In 1994 he graduated from Meadowbrook High School in Chesterfield. Three years later he began his military career.
Michael attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at the Armor School at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After graduation, he spent a tour of duty at Schweinfurt, Germany that included a six month combat deployment to Kosovo and Bosnia. By the age of 31 he was ten year veteran who was a tank commander on his third combat deployment in Iraq, this time assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Benning, Georgia.
“He really was proud of his job and proud to serve,” said his mother, Connie Moody.
In 2007 he was promoted to staff sergeant, one step above the rank his father, Michael D. Moody Sr., held before he left the Army and returned to civilian life. “I used to say: ‘I’m the sergeant, I’m in charge,’ ” said the elder Moody. “When he made E-6 he said, ‘Dad, now I’m in charge.’ ”
After Michael’s first tour in Iraq, his father told him, ‘”Son, you know, that’s history. They may not know your name, but you’re going to be in the history books.”
Staff Sergeant Moody is now in this history book, a tribute to all of the Fallen Heroes of the United States Military. He died on Saturday, June 23, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. Also killed were Sergeant Chris Davis and Private Shane M. Stinson.
Michael earned numerous awards and decorations, some of which included two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medals, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, two Presidential Unit citations, and the Combat Action Badge. The Army also posthumously awarded him the Purple Heart.
Staff Sergeant Moody is survived by his daughter, Sabreeyah Moody of El Paso, Texas; his son, Malik Goodwyn of Jarratt, Virginia; his loving parents, Michael D. Moody Sr. and Connie Mason-Moody of Stony Creek, Virginia; his brother, Kedrick D. Moody (Ebony) of Midlothian, Virginia; and stepfather, Robert L. Jones of Jarratt, Virginia.
He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Eugene Moody and Virginia Moody-Jones and maternal grandparents, Thomas and Charlene Mason.
His remains are interred at Dinwiddie Memorial Cemetery.