Sgt. Allen James Dunckley was born March 8, 1982 and stepped into glory May 14, 2007 due to surprise enemy gunfire. James made a profession of faith when he was just a little boy around 4 years of age. He struggled with security until he went to youth camp at age 16. There he was able to talk with his spiritual mentor and came back with his eternal destiny secured. So much so that he coined the phrase “Ready To Die” which he shortened to RTD. He also chose the number 7 as his favorite number and when asked, “Why?” he responded, “Because it is God’s number.” Later on he designed his own personal logo with the number 7 coupled with the letters “RTD” (shown above). He would often say, “I am ready to go to heaven.” Just the Wednesday before he was killed, he expressed the same thing to his dear wife, Jennifer.

He was a patriot and loved his country, and he loved youth and had a real ability to connect with them. His desire was to be a youth minister; but then 9-11 happened. This event disturbed him deeply and he felt he needed to do his part to stop the terrorists. At 19 he joined the Marines and went to war against Iraq in 2003. He was meritoriously promoted four times while in the Marines, attaining the rank of Sergeant within three years. After his return home, he and his wife Jennifer had two children; Joshua, and Hannah. However, after his discharge from the Marines and with much soul searching and prayer, he believed that God wanted him to reenlist. In February of 2006 he reenlisted with the Army and trained as a paratrooper and then as a sniper. Among the several military awards James received were the Good Conduct Medal for his dedication as a soldier and the Bronze Star Medal for heroic conduct under fire. James’s feelings are best expressed in his own words:

“The one thing I believe in, above all else is love. I love my Savior, my family, my freedom and my friends. Most people view love as a word of emotion, I view love as an act of commitment. My act of love is my service in the military protecting and preserving all the things I believe in most, so that my children, family, and friends can enjoy true freedom. I’ve seen war first hand, and have met people that have never known any of the freedoms we take for granted and I never want that for the people I care for most. Semper-Fi”- Sgt. Allen James Dunckley

His life and testimony touched many; there were over 1,300 people that attended his memorial service and all but about 30 knew him personally. James’ consistent walk with the Lord before those he worked with caused one of his supervisors to give his life to the Lord, and leave his job to attend seminary; he is now a youth pastor himself.

James’ hero was the Biblical David, and like David, James was a warrior, a leader and a man of God. He was not afraid of death because he knew he had eternal life through Jesus Christ. Just as David did, he desired to serve God and was truly a “man after God’s own heart.”