TRAVERSE CITY -- U.S. Army Sgt. Dillon Black Foxx was outgoing and humble, and his mother remembers him as a caring child through the years.
Foxx, 22, of Traverse City, was killed by an explosion Friday during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was a forward observer with the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
"In my eyes, he will always be my hero," said Trina Pfau, his mother.
Pfau recently moved to Manton from Traverse City. She said Foxx's loss is "very difficult" for his family, including his two brothers and two sisters.
"He's just deeply missed," Pfau said. "He had this personality where everyone was drawn to him. He just had a big heart. He was an awesome person."
Foxx also leaves behind his 7-month-old son, Kaiden Levi Foxx, of Ohio, and his father, Robert Lentz, of Tennessee. He attended classes at both Kingsley High School and West Senior High School in Traverse City, Pfau said.
Initial reports from the U.S. Department of Defense said Foxx died from injuries he received when a bomb exploded near his unit while on patrol in the Murghab District in western Afghanistan.
Foxx enlisted in the Army in May 2006 when he was 18, about a year after moving to Traverse City from Tennessee. He trained at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and at Fort Benning in Georgia before he reported to Fort Bragg.
Foxx was deployed to Afghanistan for a 15-month tour in January 2007. He was promoted to sergeant in January 2009 and sent to Afghanistan for a second tour of duty in August, according to military records.
Foxx received many awards and decorations during his time as a soldier, including the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Memorial services will be held for Foxx in Afghanistan and in Traverse City, though the latter is not yet scheduled, Pfau said.
Because of a reporter's error, the name of the mother of a killed soldier from Traverse City was originally misspelled in this article. Her name is Trina Pfau.
