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PROVO — The Utah soldier who died at war earlier this month is now back home. The body of 21-year-old Army Spc. Cody Towse arrived in Utah County Wednesday afternoon.
Towse was killed in a May 14 explosion in Afghanistan. First listed as missing in action, his body was found and identified a few days later.
Wednesday, Towse's family, friends and even complete strangers gathered to greet his body as it arrived at Provo Municipal Airport. Hundreds, if not thousands, of American flags and people welcomed him back.
"It's touching to us. This guy gave his life, this young man, for us," said Sandy Lamb, a Provo resident who was at the airport.
"We wanted to come support somebody who supported our country," said Alyssa Christensen, who also came to the airport.
Towse's body arrived just before noon and received a military, police and firefighter escort to where he once lived in Elk Ridge — even his Volkswagen was part of the procession.
Towse's father, Jim Towse, traveled with his son's body as it came to Utah from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He said his son was a medic and wanted to help people, which is exactly what he was doing when that bomb went off.
"He didn't care about himself. He just cared about his guys," Jim Towse said. "There's a bond over there that those guys have with each other, and I'm sure it's stronger than the bond with the family, really."
After arriving at his Elk Ridge home, Towse's body was brought inside, where his family was holding viewings Wednesday afternoon for other family members, friends and neighbors.
Jim Towse couldn't believe the support he saw from the community, and said it helped make a tough day better. "It really has made it a happy day. I never thought it would be," he said.
Cody Towse was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Army Good Conduct medals. His funeral will be held at Salem High School on Saturday, June 1, at 11 a.m.
