CHESAPEAKE
When she talked to her son, he sounded strong.
Spc. Shawn Dante Sykes, 28, had been wounded at his combat post May 5 in Iraq when a propane tank exploded in his face. The Army cook reassured his mother, Marion Cotton, that he would be OK in a phone call from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
"He said, 'OK, Momma, tell everybody I love them,' " said Cotton, who lives in Chesapeake. "He sounded so strong."
When he died Thursday, the family was shocked.
Cotton talked about her son Saturday night, remembering him as an anchor of the family, her best friend, everything she could have wanted in a son.
Sykes grew up in Portsmouth as the oldest of five children and the only son. He helped Cotton through a divorce and advised her on her education, she said.
When he came home in April for a two-week break from his second Iraq deployment, the family went out to eat and went bowling.
"We just had so much fun," Cotton said.
Sykes gave her $200 for groceries, $200 to go shopping for herself, bought her a freezer and gave gifts to his sisters.
He said he dreamed of buying a house in Florida where they all could live together.
He told his two youngest sisters, ages 7 and 10, that he would start an allowance for them if they did well in school.
"That was the kind of person my son was," Cotton said. "We have so much fun when we get together, and we love each other."
Shawn Sykes joined the military in 2001, serving as a cook in the Marines before the Army.
He was burned on his face and arm, which he used to shield himself from the blast, his mother said.
She wonders how something like that could happen to an experienced cook and said she hopes to get answers.
A family friend on Friday pointed Cotton to something on her son's MySpace page that she hadn't seen.
His heroes, he wrote, were "My Momma and grandma."
"He always had something encouraging to say to make me feel better," she said.
No funeral arrangements have been made yet.
Patrick Wilson, (757) 446-2957, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com
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sad loss
Sounds like a truly remarkable young man. In these times of so many of our young people falling in the wrong direction in our streets it is such a sad loss to lose a man of this quality. Prayers to all his family, stay strong, stay with God. He will see this through.
Condolences
I used to be in the Army circa '89-91...I always had a special respect for cooks - they had to bust their ass 24-7 and were always up at "o-dark thirty". I am so sorry to hear of your loss and I hope you know that all soldiers appreciate the role of the cook and all of us civilians appreciate the heroism of folks like your son who do whatever is asked of them. God Bless!
May God richly bless your
May God richly bless your family and hold you close in your time of grief. Your son was a true American hero and we're so thankful for his sacrifice.
Specialist Sykes, thank you for your brave service to America
You will not be forgotten.
Be strong
Ms. Cotton be strong prayer heals all wounds, nothing is more sad than losing a child.I to have a son in the military he's been there for several years now just like you he's my rock he keeps me grounded it's just the little things they do that means a lot theirs nothing that he wouldn't do and I'm sure your son was the same way just hold fast remember all the good times with him it will bring such joy cause you will always have those memories my heart goes out to you and your family but remember God only takes the best even though I do not know him he's a fine man he represented the United States Army and we all should be proud of that GOd Bless.