Nearly nine years ago, Marine Cpl. Matthew Dillon was killed in Iraq by an IED explosion.
He had served with the National Guard 122nd Charlie Company in 2003 and later enlisted in the Marine Corps.
His parents, Lucy and Neal Dillon, were overwhelmed when the 122nd veterans who served with their son decided in 2008 to establish a Purple Heart chapter as a tribute.
Members of Cpl. Matthew Vincent Dillon MOPH Memorial Chapter 2005, their Ladies Auxiliary chapter and other guests attended an annual banquet on Saturday.
Dillon was wounded with the 122nd in 2003, as were three of his friends. Clarence Palmer and William Reese, the current chapter president, were injured on September 9, while Jimmy Bates received an injury a week earlier. Dillon was awarded a Purple Heart, as did his friends. They participated in the banquet.
"This means a lot," Palmer said. "We keep up with our fellow veterans and helping those of all era. I got to meet great veterans from World War II ... Those guys made everything possible."
David Eyler, the guest speaker, is the Savannah River National Lab's deputy director. A U.S. Navy veteran and Naval Academy graduate, Eyler served as the squadron commander of six nuclear-powered submarines. He recognized the chapter members and Dillon, who volunteered to enlist in the Marines and return to Iraq.
"The Purple Heard is not just something you receive," Eyler said with emotion. "What it does represent is sacrifice. It's one of those words you don't hear much in today's society. It's about the willingness to give of oneself without any expectations in return. A sacrifice can be the greatest indicator of love."
Those attending the banquet crossed generations. Don Skinner, 84, spent 26 years in the Air Force - serving during the Korean and Vietnam wars. He helped start two earlier Purple Heart chapters in Aiken, now disbanded. Undeterred, Skinner became a charter member of the Dillon chapter.
"We work to provide information for veterans," he said, "making sure everybody knows their benefit ... as well as getting the things they need."
Neal and Lucy Dillon share that goal. They have long acknowledged they could have withdrawn and suffered in silence following their son's death. They chose not to do so.
"We spend a lot of time with the chapter," Neal said. "We're involved in helping our veterans and active duty personnel."
The banquet took a step back into the past with performance of World War II songs by the "The Pin-up Dolls" - dressed in the styles of the actual Pin-up Girls from more than 70 years ago. The new trio from Wrens, Georgia, was formed earlier this year.
Senior writer Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter and has been with the newspaper since September 2001.