Airman 1st Class Dayvon Larry of the 325th Security Forces Squadron, poses at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Feb. 1, 2023. (U.S. Air Force)

Airman 1st Class Dayvon Larry left such an impression at a Florida air base that his unit created a program, Delta Lima, in his memory to promote pride and professionalism.

Larry, 31, stood out among his peers in the 325th Security Forces Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, according to a news release announcing the program in June. He made a mission of selling the Air Force to students at local schools by setting up career days, mentoring young people and getting his Air Force friends to help, his commander said.

“He was dedicated to connecting the Air Force with schools in underserved areas, showcasing what we could offer, and inspiring the next generation,” Lt. Col. Matt Lowe told Stars and Stripes by email Oct. 18. “He wanted to get the fellow squadron members and other Airmen across the base involved in helping him.”

That ended just after midnight April 10, 2023, when, according to local police, an MMA fighter punched Larry once behind his left ear outside a bar in Panama City Beach.

Larry fell and was later declared dead from blunt force trauma, according to AL.com, an Alabama news site.

“His death was felt deeply across our squadron,” Lowe said. “We knew we had to attempt to continue what he, and the team he gathered, had started. We organized a team of Defenders in his honor called Delta Lima.”

Membership in the eight-member Delta Lima rotates every six months. To qualify, candidates from the 325th must stand out. They must exhibit proficiency in their field, maintain the highest standards of dress and appearance, achieve 90% or better on physical fitness tests and obtain their flight chief’s recommendation, according to an Air Force news release in June.

Senior Airman Joshua Barnes, a 325th Security Forces Squadron patrolman, wears the Delta Lima brassard at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., June 9, 2024. (Zeeshan Naeem/U.S. Air Force)

The first Delta Lima brassard is displayed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., June 6, 2024. (U.S. Air Force)

A board chaired by the squadron’s chief master sergeant selects the Delta Lima squad. They may wear a distinguishing brassard — an upper arm band — and are assigned special duties. They may be preselected for advanced tactical defender, counter sniper engagement and nuclear convoy courses, among others, the release states.

Soon after his arrest, the man charged with manslaughter in Larry’s death, Ross Allen Johnson, 25, originally of Carterville, Ill., went free on $250,000 bond from Bay County, Fla. He is scheduled for a pretrial conference on Jan. 7, according to court records.

However, Johnson is facing an unrelated aggravated assault charge in Nashville that predates Larry’s death.

Arrested in January in Oklahoma and transferred to Tennessee, Johnson went free again on Oct. 30 after posting a $35,000 bond in Nashville, according to Davidson County court records. He is due again in court Dec. 4.

Johnson’s record in the ring as an MMA fighter was relatively brief, according to a site that tracks the sport. Sherdog.com shows Johnson’s record at 5-1 as an amateur in fights between March 2019 and October 2020.

In his one professional bout, on Aug. 14, 2021, Johnson was knocked out in the third round, according to Sherdog.

Larry was from Malone, Fla., population 1,959, a crossroads town 1 ½ hours northeast of Tyndall near the Alabama state line. He was born in Nuremburg, Germany, one of five children of Johnny Larry Jr., an Army first sergeant, and Lillie Bell Larry, according to his obituary at Legacy.com. His father died in 2016.

He aspired to become a handler of military working dogs, Lowe said.

The Delta Lima brassards are numbered, with the first brassard reserved in Larry’s honor, according to the Air Force release.

“His presence and loss were felt across the base. He made those around him, to include me as the commander, better human beings,” Lowe said. “I will never forget A1C Dayvon Larry for the leader and person he was.”