Hometown: Caledonia, MI
Branch: U.S. Army 
Unit: 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado
Military Honors: Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal
Date of Sacrifice: May 31, 2006 - Balad, Iraq
Age: 28
Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011

Brock Bucklin was born in the small town of Caledonia, Michigan, just a few miles south of Grand Rapids, on August 18, 1977. He had four brothers—Shawn, Pete, Brad (his twin), Wayne—and one sister, Becky. Brock graduated from Forest Hills Central High School in Grand Rapids in 1997.

Bucklin joined the U.S. Army in August of 2004, about a year after his twin brother, Brad, joined. According to their father, Duane Bucklin, “He [Brock] had worked at different jobs and never figured out what he wanted to do. The Army really seemed to work for him.”

Brock was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division based out of Fort Carson, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He deployed to Iraq in December of 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Bucklin was a member of a Mortar Platoon before being assigned to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Gabe in Baqubah, Iraq—about 30 miles northeast of Baghdad on the Diyala River. Among Bucklin’s duties was to assist in the closing of FOB Gabe, as most of the 68th Armor Regiment was being moved to FOB Warhorse in Diyala.

While performing his duties, Cpl. Bucklin and other soldiers were lifting equipment when a chain hoist broke. The chain snapped and struck Bucklin in the neck, causing a fatal injury. He was transported to a hospital in Balad, where he died of his wounds on May 31, 2006. He was 28 years old.

Brock’s twin brother, Army Specialist Brad Bucklin, received the news of Brock’s accident while stationed in Germany. Dawn Bucklin, the twins’ mother, said “[Brad] and Brock made a promise if anything ever happened, they would carry their brother off the plane…He [Brad] didn’t want to break that promise.”

At the end of that difficult flight to bring Cpl. Bucklin home, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom: “We have the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin on board, and his twin brother Corporal Brad Bucklin has accompanied him home from Iraq. As a sign of respect, please remain seated while we honor Corporal Bucklin and his sacrifice.”

One passenger on that flight was Major Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot who was returning home from his second tour of duty in Iraq. Watching as the family met the flag-covered casket, Rooney was deeply moved when he saw Cpl. Bucklin’s young son, Jacob, clinging to his mother’s leg.

According to the Folds of Honor Foundation, “Major Rooney knew he couldn’t change the fate of a fallen soldier, but believed he could change the future of a grieving widow or fatherless child. From this sincere and simple idea, The Folds of Honor Foundation was created, and ensures that families of the fallen and disabled must never endure alone.”

Since 2007, the Folds of Honor Foundation has provided thousands of educational scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military service members. Cpl. Bucklin’s son Jacob received the first Folds of Honor scholarship.

In Cpl. Brock’s honor, the Folds of Honor Foundation has created the Corporal Brock Bucklin Patriot Award. The Award is presented each year to an outstanding individual, committed to serving our men and women in uniform. Recipients include President George W. Bush, musician Vince Gill, and golfers Jack Nicklaus and Corey Pavin.

Sources
Artist’s rendering by Craig Du Mez
Family information provided by Folds of Honor Foundation
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service: Bucklin
Battle Creek Enquirer, June 3, 2006: Battle Creek Enquirer
The South Bend Tribune, June 13, 2006: Twin escorts brother’s body home to western Michigan
Together We Served: Bucklin, Brock, CPL
Nicklaus Companies: Jack Nicklaus receives Corporal Brock Bucklin Patriot Award
New York Times, August 5, 2008: A Mission to Help Those Scarred by War, Born of a Family’s Grief
Folds of Honor, Patriot Shootout: Our Story
Fort Collins Coloradan, June 8, 2006: Cpl. Brock L. Bucklin
Burial Site: Find a Grave