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June 2, 2009

Killed soldier was to be married

Jamie Jones

A Dalton soldier killed in Iraq last week was engaged and planned on marrying his fiancee after he returned from his military service, a family member said Tuesday.

Pvt. Thomas “Tommy” Lee III, 20, died Friday after an explosive device struck his vehicle while he was on patrol in Mosul, Iraq. He and Misti Beasley were to be married.

Funeral arrangements for Lee had not been made as of Tuesday evening. Ponders Funeral Home in Dalton is handling the arrangements.

Billy Hobbs, Lee’s grandfather who lives in Sugar Valley, said he isn’t sure where his grandson will be buried. Lee has a living will on file with the military.

“We have a place here for him,” Hobbs said. “We’re just not sure right now if we’ll bury him here or in Chattanooga (at the National Cemetery).”

Lee joined the Army in February 2008 as an infantryman and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division since July 2008. He deployed to Iraq in December 2008.

Lee was born and raised in Whitfield County. He spent his freshman and sophomore years at Northwest Whitfield High School, then attended Southeast High School before transferring to Phoenix High School in fall 2005. He withdrew from Phoenix in December 2005.

He is the fifth soldier or Marine from Whitfield County high schools to be killed in Iraq since Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003. Four others — Army Spc. Michael Alleman (Southeast), Army Sgt. Marshall Edgerton (Northwest), Marine Lance Cpl. James Michael Gluff (Northwest) and Marine Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez (Southeast) — died while in service with the military.

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