VNMP to honor slain Marines, sailor
Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 25, 2015
Vicksburg National Military Park will pause Sunday from honoring Americans of a bygone era to offer a salute to four servicemen killed last week in an attack on a Tennessee recruiting center.
At 10 a.m. Sunday, rangers and volunteers for the park’s Living History Detachment will hold a memorial for the four Marines and a U.S. Navy sailor killed July 16 at the Armed Forces Career Center in Chattanooga, ranger Tim Kavanaugh said.
“The park’s 12-pound Napoleon cannon will be fired in salute, followed by the playing of “Taps” by one of our volunteers. The program should take around 15 minutes,” Kavanaugh said.
Lance Cpl. Squire “Skip” Wells, a longtime living history volunteer at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield in his home state of Georgia was among the four killed when 24-year-old Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez opened fire in the recruiting center.
“While we join the families and nation in grieving for all of these servicemen murdered on American soil, the park staff and the National Park Service feel a personal loss with the death of Lance Cpl. Skip Wells,” Kavanaugh said
“Skip grew to adulthood as a volunteer member of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park’s Living History cannon crew, a sister program to our own.”
Services for Wells will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Woodstock, Ga., followed by burial in Georgia National Cemetery in Canton.
“We join our colleagues at Kennesaw Mountain in their profound sadness at this loss, and as they prepare for his funeral on Sunday,” Kavanaugh said.
Marine Corps servicemen Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan of Springfield, Mass., Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist of Grantsburg, Wisc., And Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt of Russellville, Ark., were also killed in the attack as U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class. Randall Smith.
Admission to the park is $8 per noncommercial vehicle. For more information, call 601-636-0583.