BARRY COURTER: Lisa, there is always something to do in Chattanooga, but this week has some very special events. This is the anniversary week of that horrible day a year ago on July 16 when five servicemen were killed.
Lisa Denton and Barry Courter
The anniversary is Saturday, and there are events to commemorate the date scheduled pretty much all day. There is a Chattanooga Heroes Run/Walk at 8 a.m. and a service at 11 a.m. Both will take place at the Naval Operational Support Center and Marine Corps Reserve Center at 4051 Amnicola Highway. A rider's memorial also starts at 11 a.m. at Thunder Creek Harley-Davidson.
LISA DENTON: That night, there's a concert called Evening Under the Stars featuring country artists Ty Herndon, Anita Cochran and Tim Bentley, plus gospel music from Lulu Roman of "Hee Haw" fame. The show will be at a new venue called The Hideaway Rock Quarry on Mowbray Mountain in Soddy-Daisy. Proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction will go to the families of the Fallen Five.
BARRY: And Friends of the Festival kicks off Riverfront Nights on Saturday night as well with a special Chattanooga Unite program to open the show at 6:30 p.m. Blues guitarist Lefty Williams is the headliner, and he can play.
LISA: Oh, and Friday's Nightfall opening act will be participants in Operation Song, which has had professional songwriters working with the families of the Fallen Five to write songs about each serviceman. I've heard a couple of these songs on WUTC-FM's "Around and About" show and all I can say is: Bring your Puffs and Kleenex.
BARRY: Blood Assurance is holding a blood drive all week in honor of the fallen servicemen as well.
LISA: After the shooting, giving blood was one of the things people did to have some tangible way to help. Blood Assurance has reported that Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith received more than 600 units of blood products while fighting for his life in Erlanger's trauma unit. He was the last to die from his injuries.
Four Marines - Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson Holmquist and Lance Cpl. Squire "Skip" Wells - died at the scene of the shooting. A heartbreaking day.
BARRY: We should mention some of the other events this week, too. Junior Brown - and his "guit-steel" double-neck instrument - is at Barking Legs on Thursday, and the Gaither Vocal Band returns for a show Saturday at Memorial Auditorium.
Get event details every Thursday in ChattanoogaNow or online anytime at www.ChattanoogaNow.com.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.