The deaths of almost 3,000 fellow Americans on 9-11-2001 deeply moved Thomas Caughman.
As a result, his father, Hamp Caughman, Jr., of Lexington said Thomas felt compelled to join the Army Reserves.
The senior Caughman told veterans, first responders and their families Tuesday at the Columbia Convention Center during "An Evening of Remembrance" that one of his son's teachers told him how deeply affected Thomas had been by 9-11.
Sent as a reservist to Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Lexington High graduate, 20, became the 17th South Carolinian killed in Iraq. 
He died June 9, 2004, when his armored vehicle was hit by an explosive device near Baghdad.
"I have always had a special feeling for first responders and those in the military," Caughman told the crowd Tuesday evening.
"But since our son's death, my feelings for them has deepened."
More on the 9-11 memorial service with photos in next week's Chronicle.