Email link

Respond to editor

Read comments (14)

Share link

Essary procession draws crowds to pay their final respects

Thursday, January 15, 2009

The body of Cpl. Keith Eric Essary makes it way past the Dyer County High School JROTC as they salute their fallen comrade.
[Click to enlarge]

The body of Cpl. Keith Eric Essary was flown in to Dyersburg Municipal Regional Airport this morning.

In the bitterly cold morning, with the wind chill in the single digits, a crowd of friends, family, city and county officials, riders, law enforcement and others gathered to greet the plane and its occupants.

The casket, draped with the American flag, was lowered off of the plane as members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood, unphased by the weather, holding American flags on both sides.

The family walked across the tarmac somberly to the casket.

The stoic Army National Guard Honor Guard Team of West Tennessee then pall beared the casket to the awaiting hearse with pin point precision.

At approximately 10:45 a.m. the procession left the airport on its journey up 51 Bypass N. A multitude of people lined both sides of the bypass and the highway leading to Newbern, to pay their respects to our local soldier.

As the procession made its way past Dyer County High School the JROTC, which Essary was a member of, saluted as the procession went by.

Hundreds of people filled the sidewalks of downtown Newbern. Some waved flags as others held their hands over their hearts, acknowledging the ultimate sacrifice that this young man made.

The procession ended at Johnson-Williams Funeral Home where Essary will remain until Friday's visitation at East Dyersburg United Methodist Church at 805 Merriman Av. The visitation is from 4-8p.m. and Essary's funeral will take place, Saturday, at Dyer County High School at 11a.m., afterwards, he will be laid to rest at Mayfield Cemetery in Gibson County.

Comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on stategazette.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

A well-deserved,yet bittersweet homecoming for this fallen soldier. May he rest in peace.

-- Posted by liveeverydaytothefullest on Thu, Jan 15, 2009, at 5:43 PM

As a active duty soldier from Dyersburg I give my deepest regrets and sympathy goes to this family. See you at Fiddler's Green Soldier.

SFC Gary McClain

Fort Knox KY

Dyersburg native

-- Posted by sfcmac on Thu, Jan 15, 2009, at 6:14 PM

my deepest sympathy to the essary family. if i was home id been there.biker 17/ concepcion,chile.south america.

-- Posted by biker 17 on Thu, Jan 15, 2009, at 9:21 PM

my sincere sympathy to the family of this young man. My God be with them in the days that follow.

I have lost my mom, dad, and my husband. But to lose a child in any way would be absolutely unbearable. peace be with you in the upcoming days.

-- Posted by dyercgirl on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 12:48 PM

I have never been more proud of the people of Dyer County and especially Dyer County High School and the ROTC. What an awesome sight it was to see every student lined up along the highway.I was standing across from DCHS as the procession went by and you could have heard a pin drop as they passed by. The kids were in silence showing respect for an American hero. Our deepest sympathy to Keith's family. He was truely an American hero and will never be forgoten.

-- Posted by Air Force mom on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 1:16 PM

Again as a Afghan ans Iraq vet my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of this Warrior. CPL Essary may your boots be always dry and your canteen full from one Dyer county Warrior to another.I salute you and wish I was there with you.

SFC Gary McClain

-- Posted by sfcmac on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 3:02 PM

Corporal Essary, job well done....god bless you and your family.....Your service was not in vain....

-- Posted by DMASE on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 3:03 PM

I never met this young man,nor did I know him but he was my brother.I fought in the jungles

of VietNam and he fought on the sand.I shed my blood but that pales in comparison to the price

he paid.He went where his country sent him and

did what his country asked of him.Military people

are a family in itself;we all fight for the same

cause,and our cause is just.So to Keith I say

this,...."There is a bond that makes us brothers

and you will never go your way alone,for what you gave for the lives of others will come back into your own.Sleep well,brother.

SSG Lloyd Moore

VietNam 70-71

-- Posted by lloyd49 on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 4:38 PM

Blessing and heartfelt gratitude for this family

-- Posted by outta*here on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 10:40 AM

I was in that thousands of people during the procession of Cpl. Essary and my heart was filled with both sadness and pride in this young man who was a part of this force protecting us. Sad at the loss and pride in him. My prayers go out to his family. May GOD take him in HIS everlasting arms.

-- Posted by riverman on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 12:55 PM

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU is all I can say for Cpl Keith Eric Essary.

To the family:

I am praying for God's grace to surround you today as you have said your final goodbyes to your grandson, son, brother, friend, and our true american hero. I have never met nor ever knew Keith or his family until I read the tragedy in the paper. As I remember the Essary family and the friends of this hero, I also remember the family and friends of the other hero solider that was killed as well. Staff Sgt Josh Rath of Decatur, AL was the other solider, who I did know as well as his family and fiance. It really hits close to home when you know someone that has been fighting for you daily in harms way and then for them to come home in honor is hard. But all I can say to both families is THANK YOU! We are proud of the heros that your solider became to be and he will always be honored by his fellow americans.

You and your family are in my prayers daily.

Ashley, Hermitage, TN and Decatur, AL

-- Posted by ackward84 on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 1:47 PM

As I watched with such a heavy heart today at the funeral I was proud of our community and the support for our soilders. As a mother of a son, son-in-law and daughter-inlaw serving in Iraq now, Im proud of our town. May we all remember those still fighting for our freedom and say a prayer for those still there. May god bless the family and friends. May God give you peace.

-- Posted by CoTibber on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 3:40 PM

Keith, You are missed! Thank you for your sacrifice. I love you.

-- Posted by lovemykids1 on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 8:56 PM

It was an honor to take part in the escort from tarmac to funeral home and again yesterday at the funeral. Patriot Guard Riders from TN, MO and I think we had one from AR as well, rode in below freezing temaptures on both days.

I want everyone reading this to know, that on Thursday and yesterday when you lined the streets, YOU were Patriot Guard Riders!

You do not need a bike to join, all you need is the desire to show respect. If you would like to join us on our future missions, please join (no fees, no meetings). WWW.patriotguard.org, select a screen name and password, then go to "all forums" scriooll down to Tennessee and enter our section. In there , you will see a NEW MEMBER Location" click there and we will get you added to the state wide email lists. This is how we are notified of missions.

I want to thank each of you for your support to the family during this private moment, turned public by its nature. The day Kieth died, we all lost a son, brother, friend, and fellow American.

It was my honor to assist MR Bill Van Zant, as he took lead for all Patriot Guard Riders as the assigned Ride Captain.

Dennis "DOC" Lee

USN (RET)

Ride Captain (local) West Tennessee area and other such places as needed

-- Posted by TNPGRDOC1 on Sun, Jan 18, 2009, at 7:02 AM