Seven service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice are being honored Friday at a Memorial Day ceremony in Nashville.
“By observing these lives lost, we have walked through 75 years of wars and quite a bit has changed since the call came to serve in World War II,” Governor Bill Haslam said on Friday. “The observance of Memorial Day is a time to merge the past, present and future to ensure every generation remembers the sacrifice of these heroes and their families.”
Private First Class Reese Gass, of Greeneville, was presumably killed on January 14, 1945 but was not identified until 2016. He was laid to rest on June 10, 2017.
Technical Sergeant William O'Kieff, of Murfreesboro, was presumably killed on November 27, 1970, but he was not identified until 2017. He was laid to rest on June 17, 2017.
Staff Sergeant William Turner, of Nashville, was presumably killed on December 13, 1943, but was not identified until 2017. He was laid to rest on August 22, 2017.
Corporal Henry Andregg, of Whitwell, was presumably killed on November 20, 1943, but was not identified until 2017. He was laid to rest on August 25, 2017.
Staff Sergeant Michael Nelson, of Antioch, was killed in the line of duty on August 15, 2017 in a UH-60 Black Hawk crash in Oahu.
Corporal Thomas Mullins of Harriman went missing on November 2, 1950 while serving in the Korean War. He was identified in 2017 and laid to rest on March 29, 2018.
Corporal Jason Hovater, of Lake City, was killed in action on July 13, 2008 during the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan. His parents, Gerald and Kathy Hovater, will receive the Gold Star Family Proclamation.
