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Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell Members of the US Army Honor Guard remove the US flag from Sgt. 1st Class Lewis Brickell's funeral at the Chattanooga National Cemetery Friday.
Barbara Hobbs eyes closed when taps played this afternoon.
A 59-year wait for her brother’s return had finally happened. She and her family buried Sgt. 1st Class Lewis Brickell at 3 p.m. today after waiting since 1950 to learn of his fate when the 18-year-old soldier went missing during fighting in the Korean War.
His remains were officially identified by military forensics teams in Hawaii in September. The family learned shortly afterward. The body returned to Chattanooga on Tuesday for burial today.
Mrs. Hobbs said for the last 12 years she and her family pushed to find her brother’s remains, something her mother died without knowing.
“He was with my mother way before I found out about this,” Mrs. Hobbs said.
The U.S. Army honor guard carried the metal casket through the ceremony at the Chattanooga National Cemetery and after presenting a flag to Mrs. Hobbs, marched the casket out to bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace.”
Todd South covers courts and the military for the Times Free Press. He has worked at the paper for three years and previously covered crime and safety in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. Todd’s hometown is Dodge City, Kan. He served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq before returning to school for his journalism degree from the University of Georgia. Todd previously worked at the Anniston (Ala.) Star. Contact Todd ...
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