When Stan Hardegree and Cathy Stephens decided to tie the knot Saturday at their favorite bar, Kevin Barry’s Pub on River Street, they found a special way to include Hardegree’s son, Michael, a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division who was killed in Iraq in 2007.
Before the ceremony, Hardegree and pub owner Vic Power dedicated a plaque in Michael’s honor in the pub’s Hall of Heroes.
The pub devoted the upstairs space in 1995 to honor fallen soldiers, most of whom are local.
“Mike was born here in Savannah and he’s being honored in the city of his birth. I feel very proud and I’m proud to have him honored here at my favorite bar,” Hardegree said.
“We knew we wanted to get married here and I had contemplated doing something like this from the moment of his death, so we knew this would be the perfect time to honor Michael.”
Dozens of friends and family were on hand for the dedication and wedding ceremony, including the couple’s bulldog, Sassy.
“She’s a therapy dog; that’s why we’re allowed to have her inside. I don’t think anyone here needs therapy, but that’s our excuse,” Hardegree said.