There were boy scouts and bikers. Politicians and marines. Sales reps, doctors, janitors, and secretaries—all Chattanoogans—standing in the late afternoon heat on Friday along the funeral procession route for Staff Sergeant David Allen Wyatt, paying their last respects to a man who died in the service of others.
Some gathered as early as 7 a.m. with American flags and homemade signs in hand on Holtzclaw Avenue, just outside the National Cemetery, many taking off work just to be present.
And they considered it a privileged duty—the least they could do to show what support they might for a family, and nation, torn by violence.
They were there to give honor. To salute. To grieve. To be together despite a horrifying tragedy and show that the community will not break so easily and will choose to heal as one.
As the first of the estimated 3,500 vehicle procession crept up to the cemetery entrance, a group of marines and other service members, both active and retired, were called to salute, raising their hands to their heads underneath an enormous flag strung up between the extended ladders of two firetrucks.
Then an endless stream of emergency vehicles, civilian cars, and motorcycles crawled into the burial grounds bearing families, friends, and supporters past the crowd, waiting patiently with their hands over their hearts.
Weston Wamp who has run for Congress twice and who is the son of former Representative Zach Wamp said, “What’s becoming very clear is that the five families that were most affected are going to be well taken care of by the people of Chattanooga.”
A former marine, Larry Hester, has helped make that possible. He said that he’s sold over $2,000 worth of NoogaStrong T-shirts, every penny of which is going directly to the families.
He was also part of a flag honor group in the ceremony and gave a marine corps flag to Mr. Wyatt’s wife to have in the funeral home during the service.
Mr. Wamp said, “What should be carried on is the legacy of these men who were not just heroes because they were marines, but because they were marines who had incredible courage.”
That feeling was echoed by an overwhelming number of Chattanoogans who showed up, some with direct ties to the military and the national cemetery.
Terri Hicks stood with a small group of people, two of whom had family members buried in the cemetery. All of them wore NoogaStrong T-shirts and waved banners.
She said, “[This demonstration] shows that we’re not going to back down after a senseless tragedy. We’re not going to be afraid.”
As each member of the procession entered through the cemetery gates to lay Staff Sergeant Wyatt to rest, one of the final crowd members they passed was a young boy who shouted “God bless,” at each vehicle.
He waved a United States Marine Corps flag over his head, flanked on either side by dozens of adults holding their own American flags.
The last in a long chain of indebted citizens, proud and humbled to say, “Farewell, and thank you.”