Florida Southern College memorializes Maj. Kody Khork: 'Building better people'

LAKELAND, Fla. - The legacy of a fallen soldier continues right where his journey first began.

Family, friends, and fellow service members gathered at Florida Southern College in Lakeland to honor Maj. Cody Khork, not just to remember his life, but to ensure his impact carries on for future generations.

The backstory:

Khork, 35, was killed in an Iranian drone strike on a U.S. base in Kuwait at the beginning of March.

Khork was posthumously promoted to the rank of major.

Loved ones say Khork’s path to service took shape on the FSC campus where he grew into the leader so many remember today.

The ROTC community returned to where it began Wednesday, to honor a life of service and sacrifice.

 Remembering Cody

"A strong sense of happiness, knowing that my son's name is continuing, and he's doing what he did while he was alive, building better people," Cody’s father, James Khork, said.

That idea, building better people, is now part of his lasting legacy.

At Patriots Place on campus, beneath the Stars and Stripes, Cody's name is etched in a brick.

Cody's family says his strength wasn’t just in uniform, but in the way he treated others.

"It takes nothing for an act of kindness. It takes nothing to say hello, it takes nothing to be inclusive, just that small step — and you’ve made a difference in someone’s life, and that’s what he brought to the table," Stacey Khork, Cody’s stepmom, said.

James Khork added that the school’s ROTC program helped shape that leadership:

"The ROTC honed it for him here, but someone without it could build it here and learn it," James Khork said.

They’re hoping Cody’s legacy will be a guiding light for those building their future.

 Future leaders

Cody’s legacy is already living on through the Maj. Cody A. Khork '14 Endowed ROTC Scholarship at Florida Southern College. It will go to one cadet each year to cover the cost of room, board and educational expenses.

So far, more than $160,000 has been raised from over 250 donors, with contributions still being accepted.

A conference room now also bears Cody’s name, a place where future leaders will meet, learn and grow.

"It helps our grieving. That kind of advocacy, that kind of legacy to see in future soldiers and in future students, even, is so inspiring," Stacey Khork said.

The ceremony on Wednesday includes speeches from military leaders, friends and family.

State legislators presented the family with American flags.

Mostly, the speakers shared stories about all the ways Cody impacted their lives for the better.

"It helps you move through it a little easier, when you have something to hold your chin up to," Stacey Khork said.

A legacy lives on

Cody’s legacy keeps moving forward, a life of purpose not yet complete. His impact stretched far beyond campus.

The Khork family recalls the emotional procession through Polk County before Cody was laid to rest.

Signs from strangers, the faces of friends.

A community united for a hometown hero.

"Recent memories still play through my head, and that's one of them. The ride through Polk County. From Lakeland to Winter Haven, through Auburndale where I grew up, where Stacey grew up, through Winter Haven where we both lived. It was amazing," James Khork said. "It touched the soul."

That outpouring of support left a lasting impression.

The way a soldier’s sacrifice lives on, long after they're gone.

"That is what this community did. They came together as human beings, and they loved on our family in a way that we couldn't possibly have imagined, but definitely needed, and are ever grateful for," Stacey Khork said.