'A hero among us'

Services held for Pvt. Tommy Lee

By Charles Oliver

When he was a little boy, Thomas “Tommy” Lee III wanted to be G.I. Joe. He grew up to live that dream, said the Rev. Mark Seay.

“Like many young men, I grew up playing with G.I. Joe action figures, too. I remember one thing about G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe had a slogan. He was the ‘real American hero,’” Seay said. “Tommy was a real American hero in every essence of the word. Let us not forget that a hero was among us and still is among us.”

Seay spoke Saturday at a service for Lee at Dalton’s Eleventh Avenue Baptist Church.

Lee, 20, was killed after an explosive device struck his vehicle while he was on patrol in Mosul, Iraq. 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. He is the fifth soldier or Marine from Whitfield County high schools to be killed in Iraq since Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003.

The Rev. Terry Roberson also noted that Lee’s childhood ambition was to be a soldier.

“He said he wanted to be a soldier. He told his mother and his family it was his destiny to be a soldier and to fight for freedom and to fight for his country,” he said. “Tommy loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his country. He loved his God. And he died for that reason.”

“Tommy would say ‘Don’t cry for me. This is my destiny. I stand with you. You are always in my heart, and I am always in yours,’” Roberson added

Seay said that friends and family had gathered not only to grieve but to celebrate Lee’s life.

“We come here today to honor a great man. And Tommy was a man in every essence of the word,” he said.

“How fitting it is that we honor Tommy today, June 6. This is the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion (of Normandy),” he said. “I can’t think of a more appropriate day to honor a fallen soldier.”

Seay recalled knowing a “rambunctious blond-headed little boy” who seemed to grow up quickly into a responsible young man.

“I remember there was always something special about that little boy,” he said. “There’s one thing I can say about Tommy, he was mature for his age. A lot of teenagers aren’t very responsible. But Tommy was a man of responsibility at a very young age.”

The funeral procession to Chattanooga National Cemetery from Dalton was led by more than 100 members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a patriotic group of motorcycle riders that attends the funerals of members of the U.S. armed forces.

As the procession made its way along the Dalton Bypass, cars pulled over to pay their respects. Many families lined the route, with the adults waving flags and the children holding their hands over their hearts. Numerous vehicles from local fire departments and law enforcement agencies helped block intersections, where firefighters and law enforcement officers stood to pay their respects as the procession passed.

As the procession moved onto I-75, people stood on overpasses all the way into Chattanooga waving large flags.

“Thomas Lee will obviously be missed by the people of this area, and they understand and appreciate the sacrifice he made,” said state Sen. John Douglas, R- Social Circle, who came to pay his respects to Lee and his family.

“The people of this area support the military, and they are there for the family, and I’m sure they want them to know that,” said state Sen. Don Thomas, R-Dalton.

The show of respect continued as the procession approached the cemetery along Bailey Avenue. On one side of the street, in front of the armory, dozens on soldiers stood at attention. The other side was lined with families waving flags.

At the cemetery, the Patriot Guard riders again formed a flag line as the family and Lee’s remains were brought to the Armed Services Pavilion.

Brig. Gen. Rich McPhee presented an American flag to Lee’s mother Shirley, and the family watched as an honor guard from Fort McPherson in Atlanta fired a three-shot salute and a bugler played “Taps” before white doves were released in Lee’s memory.

“It’s an honor for me to be a part of this,” said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Houston, a member of the honor guard. “It is important for us to be able to honor our fallen comrades.”

Seay said that the day was a day of grieving for friends and family but one of triumph for Lee.

“Tommy fought a lot of battles in his life. But today, he is claiming victory,” he said.