A Lubbock father is mourning the loss of his only son to the War on Terror.
31-year-old Mark Russell Cannon was shot in the chest Tuesday, while on ground patrol in Afghanistan.
Cannon served in the Navy, but had been reassigned to the Marines as a medic.
Mark's father, Thomas Cannon, told NewsChannel 11 he couldn't be prouder of his son and the sacrifice he made to this country. Cannon is understandably emotional and asked to not be put on camera, but he did want to share more about his son, a hero.
Mark's father says 9-11 really impacted Mark and he decided to leave his career as a nurse's aid at Covenant Medical Center and join the Navy.
His dad says public service was in Mark's blood. Thomas Cannon is a former court at law judge and his mom, Becky Cannon, who passed away after a brave fight against cancer in 2006, was the executive director of the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center in Lubbock for 30 years. Mark was their only child.
He graduated from Coronado High School in 1994 and took courses at South Plains College.
After joining the Navy, Mark was stationed in Hawaii and served in Iraq for seven months as a medic. He then volunteered to be a part of this special operation in Afghanistan. He had only been there since mid July.
At 6'5" Mark was a big guy but his dad says he had an even bigger heart and was honored to have the chance to serve his country.
His dad says the thing he will miss most is his son's laugh and love for life. Mark's body is being flown here from Germany so his dad is still unsure of when funeral services will be held.
I would like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for our Country-not just in OEF, but also for your service in Iraq as well. And to your family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.
Semper Fi Doc!