Scholarship honors fallen soldier

KEARNEY, Neb. — A soldier who served alongside Justin Duffy is keeping the Cozad soldier’s memory alive.

Sgt. John Palmer, 35, of Atlanta, Ga., has established a scholarship in Duffy’s name at the University of Nebraska at Kearney to honor the soldier who died June 2 while serving in Iraq. Palmer came up with the idea shortly after Duffy’s death.

“It is my duty to make sure Justin’s service and sacrifice are never forgotten by those who served with him or by those for whom he served,” Palmer said in an e-mail to the Kearney Hub this week.

The scholarship was set up with the help of Duffy’s parents, Joe and Janet Duffy of Cozad, and members of Duffy’s platoon in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. The scholarship will benefit UNK students who are studying criminal justice or health science or who are members of UNK’s ROTC program.

The scholarship is being funded through one-time $25 donations to the University of Nebraska Foundation. Preference for the schoolarship will be given to residents of Dawson County.

Duffy, 31, was killed in eastern Baghdad when a roadside bomb struck the Army Humvee he was driving.

The Duffys also are setting up a scholarship at Cozad High School, where Duffy graduated in 1995. Duffy later graduated from UNK with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He joined the Army in June 2007 and was assigned to a protective security detail in Baghdad at the time of his death.

Palmer is confident Duffy was exactly where he wanted to be, doing exactly what he wanted to do when he died.

“I believe his life deserves to be celebrated, and his death, while tragic and sad, is an inspiration for any man who puts his life on the line for a cause bigger than himself,” Palmer wrote.

Joe and Jan Duffy are happy with the scholarship idea. The Duffys have never met Palmer, and only know him through his Facebook page and communicating with him via e-mail.

“It’s just a real tribute to Justin, that he was able to touch some of his comrades to the point that Sgt. Palmer would have the idea to come up with a scholarship fund,” Joe Duffy said. “Looking down, Justin would be really proud that something like this would be set up.

“So far, Palmer has raised about 20 percent of the $25,000 need to establish a scholarship. He is hoping to raise all of the money by the end of the year to make it permanent.

“I think it would be a wonderful Christmas present for the Duffy family,” Palmer said.

Online donations can be made by going to www:nufoundation.org/justinduffy

Checks can also be made payable to and sent to the University of Nebraska Foundation in care of the Sgt. Justin Duffy Memorial Scholarship, 214 W. 39th St., P.O. Box 2678, Kearney, NE 68848.