Hundreds attend Marine's visitation

GREENHILL -- A Marine Color Guard stood before the U.S. Marine seal, keeping watch over the coffin of Cpl. Matthew Conley.

The coffin, draped in an American flag, was surrounded by hundreds of floral arrangements, most of them red, white and blue.

At one end of the casket, Conley's wife, Nicole, and members of her family and her husband's family greeted a seemingly endless stream of friends and family. The line of people meandered through the Rogers High School gym, continuing outside and around the building.

"It's nice that so many people wanted to come out and honor Matt. It helps,'' said Matthew's father, Tommy Conley.

The 2002 Rogers graduate will be buried today on his 22nd birthday.

He was killed Feb. 25, local time, while on security patrol in the province of Al-Anbar, when an improvised exploding device detonated near the Humvee in which he was a passenger.

Conley was stationed in Ramadi, Iraq. He was a squad leader assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. His unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force in Ramadi, Iraq.

He had been in Iraq since September 2005 and was scheduled to leave March 6. He and his wife, Nicole, are expecting their first child, a daughter, March 25.

As hundreds of mourners and those who just wanted to give comfort and support filed through the high school, they had a chance to look at photos of Conley from his youth through teenage years and his life as a Marine.

At one end of the gym, a PowerPoint presentation played

continually showing photos depicting his life.

"He was an exceptional young man and he has a great family,'' said Charlie Borden, who coached Conley in youth football at Greenhill.

Several former members of the military as well as current members came to pay their respects.

"Every Marine, past, present and future, are all brothers,'' said Chris Spencer, a Marine veteran who drove from Tuscaloosa on Saturday morning to pay his respects.

"This is the least we can do,'' said Ken Waddell adjutant of the American Legion Post 11 in Florence and Division I commander. "We're here to honor his memory and show respect to his family.''

Waddell is also a member of the Patriot Guard Riders. He said several members of the Guard Riders, the Rolling Thunder Riders and Southern Crusaders will be attending today's funeral.

Brandon Thomas, a member of the U.S. Army 336th Postal Unit headquartered in Sheffield, got back in March from a tour in Iraq.

"This is the reality of war,'' Thomas said of the death of Conley. "But I have no regrets about being in the military. In fact, it makes me want to go on active duty.''

Lauderdale County Sheriff Ronnie Willis knew Conley, his wife, and their families.

"He was a special person. He served his country proudly and paid the ultimate sacrifice,'' Willis said. "He will always be with us.''

Public respect for Conley's service and sacrifice was evident by the thousands of American flags lining U.S. 43 and Lauderdale 47, as well as the signs on the roadway leading to the school.

One sign may have put it best "Cpl. Matthew Conley, our hero. Gone but not forgotten.''

The funeral for Conley will be at 1 p.m. today in the Rogers High School gym. The burial will be in Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens in Florence.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.