Vice President Joe Biden and military leaders on Saturday afternoon memorialized five fallen military personnel from the July 16 attack at the Naval and Marine Support Center on Amnicola Highway.
Families of U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, U.S. Naval Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith, U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Squire "Skip" Wells and U.S. Marine Sgt. Carson Holmquist were seated at the front during the hour and a-half service at McKenzie Arena.
Portraits of the fallen men were on the podium along with their boots and helmets.
It started with a rendition of "Amazing Grace" by a white-clad Navy choir and ended with a solemn roll call in which the names of the five men were called, and there was no answer.
Vice President Biden spoke directly to the families, saying their courage was an example to others around the country who are suffering their own losses.
He began by saying, "I wish I was not here today," and he told the families that their grief would gradually subside though it might take much time.
Addressing the families, who he had just met off stage, he said, "I know it's hard being here today. It brings back every moment when you got that call."
The Vice President said he had told Mayor Andy Berke, "You should be proud of your city" for Chattanooga's united response to the tragedy.
He recited facts about the lives of each of the fallen, and he said, "No one was surprised when they chose to go into the service."
He said they "had an instinct to protect. You knew that if you were in trouble they'd be there."
Vice President Biden said the message from the ordeal has been that "America never yields and never falters. We will never stand down and will always overcome.
"To the cowardly and the perverse that we face, never under-estimate America. It's always been a bad bet to do that."
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told the family and the audience, "The meaning of their killing is as of yet unknown and perhaps will never be fully known."
He said as a result of the incident there is a new resolve "to protect the service men and women who protect us." He said he has directed that immediate steps be taken to bolster recruiting offices and support and reserve centers. He said, "And we will do more if necessary."
The Defense Secretary said, "Violent extremists wherever they are will find that America will come back stronger and more resolved."
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said the next day recruiting offices and support centers were back open. He said recruitment in Chattanooga and elsewhere, if anything, had been increased by the incident. He told of one female recruitment who said she had been considering the military and the shooting caused her to go ahead and volunteer.
The speaker said, "This pure act of evil could not keep them from doing their duties."
He said, "What happened defies comprehension. Our Navy and Marine Corps family will never again feel completely whole. What cannot be taken from us is our memories of those who were lost."
Lt. Commander Tim White, who was on duty on Amnicola Highway when the shooter arrived in a rented convertible, spoke of "the rustling leaves, the screeching tires and the gunfire."
He said, "Those who heard it will never forget."
The speaker said, "The story will not end here. We will continue to defend against all attacks - foreign and domestic. We must rededicate ourselves to the cause for which these men died with more tenacity, higher vigilance and undaunted courage."
Major Michael Abrams of Mike Battery spoke of how proud he was of how the military personnel at the scene responded and of "their selflessness in taking care of one another. He said one ran through the center warning others, another scooped up children at a nearby park, and some ran back into the fray.
He denied that they are "victims" and said they left "a legacy of selflessness and courage that inspires each and every one of us."
He added, "We will not succumb to fear. This will only strengthen our resolve."
Mayor Berke said Chattanoogans were devastated by the tragedy, but rose up together to mourn with the families, set up make-shift memorials and line the streets by the thousands to honor them.
He said, "Chattanooga is a city that refused to be torn apart. We are a city that is Chattanooga Strong."
The service was streamed live on the Navy and the city of Chattanooga websites and broadcast live on local TV channels.