Navy Chaplains Offer Support at Memorial
Loss of Chattanooga Military Men Felt By Entire Community
A slow march of visitors lined around a blend of American flags, patriotic balloons, and makeshift signs with messages written to the fallen at the memorial outside the Armed Forces Recruiting Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Everyone's eyes stayed focused on the overflowing ring of gifts and trinkets placed on the grassy island in the middle of the strip mall parking lot. Some knelt to get a better look at writings, while others stood still with distant faces. The circle of visitors remained generally unbroken but when two Navy chaplains came to see the memorial dedicated to Petty Officer Randall Smith, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Squire Wells, and Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, who lost their lives on July 16, people were eager to share their thoughts and feelings.
"It's like one huge family that lost one of its members," said Cmdr. David Hicks, Navy chaplain from Charleston, South Carolina. "And the love the family pulls together to help us through."
As Hicks moved down the line, with people thanking him for his service, he couldn't help but be thankful for theirs. A woman dressed in blue with eyes full of tears stopped him in his tracks to confide.
It's such a shock and surprise that something like this would happen so close to where I live," said Mariah Clark, a Chattanooga native. "These people died for our country and they weren't even out of the country."
"It's like one huge family that lost one of its members," said Cmdr. David Hicks, Navy chaplain from Charleston, South Carolina. "And the love the family pulls together to help us through."
As Hicks moved down the line, with people thanking him for his service, he couldn't help but be thankful for theirs. A woman dressed in blue with eyes full of tears stopped him in his tracks to confide.