Mooresville soldier dies in line of duty
By Denica Newson
5 Rights | staff writer
A husband, best friend and soon to be father. Willing to help anyone in need, amiable and friendly. According to friends and family, Josh Jetton was all these things and more. He also was a U.S. Army Private First Class. Jetton, 21, was killed in combat in Afghanistan on Tuesday.
“He was a great guy, he always had your back,” said Colton Long, one of Jetton’s best friends. The two grew up together in Mooresville. Jetton was known for his kind and free-spirited nature.
Alex Pemham, also Jetton’s best friend, said: “My dad put it best when he said Josh is a big goober, he’s the first person to make you laugh.”
According to his Facebook page, Jetton graduated from Mooresville High School in 2008. He had been in Afghanistan since August of 2010. He married his wife, Alicia Jetton, in March of this year. Pemham said that he would’ve come back home for a couple of weeks for the birth of his children; she is expecting twins
“He was a really brave man,” said Long. “Nothing ever scared him.”
Newby Memorial Elementary School plans to add him to their veteran’s memorial. It’s not clear whether he attended the school. According to the Indianapolis Star’s “Faces of the Fallen,” Jetton is the first soldier from Mooresville to die in Afghanistan and the 136th soldier from Indiana to die in combat.
