On Tuesday, March 10, James and Stacey Khork, father and stepmother of Army reservist Cody Khork who was killed in the first days the war with Iran, announced a Florida Southern College ROTC scholarship in honor of their son. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a junior or senior cadet beginning this fall.
“Cody believed in service from an early age,” said James. “He loved this country. He believed in duty and answered that call with conviction. … This scholarship is more than financial support. It is a legacy of service. It is a way to invest in young men and women.”
James said that he knew that Cody wanted to join the military since he was knee-high.
“As a father, there’s no greater heartbreak than losing a son. With that said, there is also deep pride in knowing who he was, how he lived, and what he stood for.”
Cody was born on July 5, Stacy said, and red, white and blue were his colors.
“Our hope is that every cadet who receives this scholarship understands that they’re being connected to a legacy — a legacy of courage, commitment, integrity, and devotion to this country,” Stacey said. “We want Cody’s name to continue inspiring future leaders here at Florida Southern.”
James and Stacey said that Cody messaged them and his mother, Donna Burhans, on the night before the attack.
Best friend, best man, and brother
FSC President Jeremy P. Martin said the scholarship came to be after a close friend, Abbas Jaffer, approached the school and said he wanted to do something to honor Cody. Within minutes, they had decided on a scholarship.
“We are honored to share the creation of the Captain Cody A. Khork Endowed ROTC Scholarship at Florida Southern College,” Jaffer wrote on Facebook on Friday, March 6.
“Established by family and friends in Khork’s honor, this scholarship will support ROTC cadets who demonstrate leadership, commitment to service, and the outstanding character he lived every day. His time at Florida Southern College, his involvement in ROTC, and his brotherhood in Sigma Alpha Epsilon were deeply meaningful to him.”
Jaffer wrote on Facebook that Cody was his best friend for over 16 years, and the “best human being that I’ve ever known. My best friend, best man, and brother gave his life defending our country overseas.”
Martin said that an endowed scholarship never ends. “As long as there is a Florida Southern and an ROTC program, there will be a cadet who receives the Cody Khork scholarship.” Over 120 donors gave to the fund within the first 72 hours of its creation.
Anyone can donate to the scholarship by visiting the FSC website, making a donation, and choosing the “Captain Cody A. Khork Scholarship” area of giving.
‘A piece of our son’
The Khorks said that Cody met the love of his life, Meghan Huntoon, in the military. “She totally grounded him and made him really into a mature, wonderful man,” Stacy said. Cody planned to propose when he returned from this assignment.
“When they met, they were side by side. You couldn’t separate them,” Stacey said. “They deployed together. They shopped orders together. They stayed together. They traveled together.”
Stacey said the couple was separated when Huntoon received an inter-transfer and was sent to Jordan.
“She was not with him during the attack,” Stacey said. “So, therefore, if that would not have happened, we would have lost them both. And our family firmly believes that God allowed us to keep that piece of our son so that we could still have that with us.”
Anna Toms is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
