Permanent memorial honors slain servicemen on Lee Highway

Betty and Jerry Sullivan, parents of slain U. S. Marine Sullivan watch while an American flag is raised during an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. U. S. Marine Sgt. Demonte Cheeley, who was wounded in the attack, salutes at left. Betty and Jerry Sullivan, parents of slain U. S. Marine Sullivan watch while an American flag is raised during an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. U. S. Marine Sgt. Demonte Cheeley, who was wounded in the attack, salutes at left.

By Yolanda Putman August 17, 2015 18 min read

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Permanent memorial to slain service men on Lee Highway

An American flag is raised to full staff at the conclusion of an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., for a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. The memorial is located at 6219 Lee Highway near the Armed Forces Career Center where the July attack began.

Retired U. S. Army Gen. B. B. Bell speaks during an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. The memorial is located at 6219 Lee Highway near the Armed Forces Career Center where the July attack began.

U. S. Marine Col. Wayne A. Rich, Jr., left, and U. S. Navy Cdr. Jaime Hernandez clap during an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. The memorial is located at 6219 Lee Highway near the Armed Forces Career Center where the July attack began.

Rev. Willie Kitchens sings "People Get Ready" during an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. The memorial is located at 6219 Lee Highway near the Armed Forces Career Center where the July attack began.

U. S. Marine Sgt. Demonte Cheeley, center, salutes while Marine Lance Cpl. James Draffen plays "Taps" after the raising of an American flag during an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. Sgt. Cheeley, who was wounded in the attack, was assisted in the flag-raising by members of the Chattanooga Police Department Honor Guard. The memorial is located at 6219 Lee Highway near the Armed Forces Career Center where the July attack began.

U. S. Marine Sgt. Demonte Cheeley raises an American flag during an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. Sgt. Cheeley, who was wounded in the attack, is assisted by members of the Chattanooga Police Department Honor Guard, from left, Christopher Grafe, Lance Lockhart and Jamie Barrow. The memorial is located at 6219 Lee Highway near the Armed Forces Career Center where the July attack began.

Sara Burhans, left, and Makenna Seitz look at a display of flags prior to an opening ceremony Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., at a memorial to the five servicemen who were killed on July 16. The memorial is located at 6219 Lee Highway near the Armed Forces Career Center where the July attack began.

The makeshift memorial to the city’s five fallen servicemen – the collection of flowers, crosses, mementos and the thousands and thousands of American flags that sprouted in front of the military recruiting center on Lee Highway after the July 16 shooting – couldn’t last.

But Sunday saw the dedication of a permanent marker to honor the dead and an outpouring of public support for them, their families and their mission.

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Hundreds of people sat or stood under a sweltering sun in the parking lot near the Armed Forces Career Center and National Guard recruiting office for the memorial service that lasted nearly two hours. The crowd included parents of the slain military men and elected officials.

“It’s too important, we’ve got to support our military, support America,” Carmen Paynter said while waiting for the program to start. She has one son who has been to Afghanistan and one “expecting to go,” she said.

The memorial includes a flagpole, a bench and three concrete monuments framing granite plaques telling the story of the July 16 attack that began at the Lee Highway center and ended at the U.S. Navy and Marine Operational Support Center on Amnicola Highway.