JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Gold Star Wife of a U.S. Army sergeant was given the keys to a mortgage-free condo to honor his military service on Thursday.
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ronald Phillips Jr., a New Jersey native, enlisted in the military in 1996.
Phillips was stationed at various posts including Texas, Fort Stewart, and deployed to Kuwait and Iraq.
Officials said from 1996 to 2008, he dedicated himself to the Army and upheld the highest standards of leadership.
Tragically, on Sept. 25, 2008, Phillips was killed in action by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery and sacrifice.
His wife Tosha Phillips was emotional when she got the keys to her new home on what would have been his birthday.
“She finally gets to be at home and have the stability of knowing she’s being taken care of by her husband, through his service,” Ashley Clyne, Director of Community Relations of the Military Warriors Support Foundation said.
Phillips is survived by his wife, Tosha Phillips, and two grown children. Tosha said she’s pursuing a degree in psychology to help other Gold Star families and veterans and honor her husband’s legacy through her work.
“I just feel like I’m not forgotten as a Gold Star spouse,” Tosha Phillips said. “So many times, we do feel forgotten. My husband is not forgotten, he’s not a number because you guys are still honoring him 16 years later. It’s a wonderful thing.”
The condo was donated by the MWSF in partnership with the Wells Fargo Military Home Donation Program.