Father honors son killed in Iraq with oversized headstone

RUSHSYLVANIA (AP) — A man has honored his son who died in Iraq by designing a 3,300-pound black granite headstone with an almost lifesize image of the soldier, his M-16 at the ready.    Mike Hodge said he agonized for months over the best way to ensure that the world wouldn’t forget his son, Army Sgt. Jeremy Hodge, 20, who was killed in 2005 when Iraqi insurgents attacked his convoy in Baghdad. “He was a constant source of excitement in my life, and I loved every minute of it,” Hodge said. “No matter what I thought of to honor him, it never seemed like enough.”    While personal to Hodge, the 5-foot-10-inch tall marker also represents what those in the funeral industry say is a trend: out-of-the-ordinary, personalized and oversize headstones.    “Everyone wants people to remember that they walked this earth,” said Bob Wells of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.