Sergeant Joshua Adam Hester proudly served the country he loved as an infantryman and sniper for 15 ½ years. He loved the military and would do anything for his guys. He was selected to train scout teams in Japan and marksmanship to deploying units. Joshua deployed to Operation Desert Storm, Hurricane Katrina, and the Persian Gulf.

Joshua’s contract was up when his unit was going to Afghanistan the first time, but he extended to go with them. Joshua was severely injured in an IED blast during his final deployment to Afghanistan and was medically discharged for spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Joshua died from his injuries at home, just one month before his son was born.

Joshua was beautiful inside and out, from his smile to his heart of gold. He was compassionate and loving to his family and those he served with. His friends were like family. Joshua loved making everyone laugh and never hesitated to help anyone who needed some help. He would stop to help a stranded driver. A protector at heart, Joshua would always step up to defend somebody being taken advantage of or who could not defend themselves. He was one of a kind. You won’t find one like him every day.