Ceremony pays tribute to soldier, other military heroes

Sgt. Randy Haney, who was 27 when he was killed in September 2009 in Afghanistan. He is holding his son, Austin, and his daughter, Aubry. (COURTESY OF FAMILY / May 31, 2010)

Ceremony pays tribute to soldier, other military heroes
Staff Sgt. Randy Haney was killed in Afghanistan
By Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel

10:26 p.m. EDT, May 31, 2010
For many people, Memorial Day was a day off to relax, shop or have a family barbecue.

For friends and relatives of Staff Sgt. Randy Haney, it was a time to remember the fallen hero who left behind a wife and two young children when he was killed in Afghanistan last September.

On Monday morning, about 100 friends, family and community members attended a rededication of Orange County's War Memorial at the courthouse, where Haney was honored. It was among more than a dozen in Central Florida during the weekend that honored those who gave their lives in military service.

Haney's father-in-law, Andrew Alexopoulos of Fort Lauderdale, attended the downtown Orlando ceremony.

"He gave the ultimate sacrifice — his life — for his family and his country," Alexopoulos said.

Haney was 27, a military police officer and on his third tour of duty in the Middle East when his convoy was attacked by guns and rocket-propelled grenades in Nangarhar Province. He was inspired to join the Army when he visited Ground Zero three months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Alexopoulos said.
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Ceremony pays tribute to soldier