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America laid to rest
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| America laid to rest |
By Adam Prestridge
Hundreds of law enforcement officers paid their final respects to Escambia County Sheriff’s Major Tommy America Saturday as he was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Atmore.
America passed away June 23 at his home surrounded by family and friends following a lengthy battle with cancer. His wife, Audrey, recalled Monday their final days together including America’s final minutes.
“We spent a lot of time together to the end,” she said. “We were looking eyeball to eyeball when he took his last breath. He called Jesus twice, but he wasn’t fighting it. It was so peaceful, I never witnessed anything like it.”
The procession to the cemetery following America’s funeral service at Greater Mt. Triumph Missionary Baptist Church stopped traffic on Hwy. 21 for more than 15 minutes as family, friends and fellow peace officers honored their fallen comrade. Atmore residents, young and old alike, sat in lawn chairs across from the entrance to the cemetery to pay their respects to America, who managed the west-end substation in town.
“It was a presidential funeral to me,” Audrey America said. “I don’t think the president could have received anything better.”
America received full honors as members of the Escambia County, Fla. and Santa Rosa County, Fla. honor guards placed his flag-draped casket at his grave followed by a 21-gun salute. Dispatchers then cleared the airways for Sheriff Grover Smith to radio America’s call number ES3 one last time and announce him as 10-42, code for “ending tour of duty.”
“I think the thing that really broke my heart is when they made the last call,” Audrey America said.
The honor guard then folded America’s flag and Smith presented it to Audrey America.
“It was overwhelming,” Audrey America said. “It was beyond anything I could imagine. I knew that they were going to do something, but I didn’t know to what magnitude. It was beyond my imagination.”
Even though she was taken back by the outpouring of love for her husband, Audrey America said he was definitely worthy of it.
“He was such a compassionate, loving man,” she said. “He loved people. He wanted to treat people the way he wanted to be treated. He always wanted to give people the chance to make things right no matter what trouble they were in. He was a very compassionate, fair man.”
Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith expressed the same sentiments, adding that Major America would be deeply missed.
“Tommy America is the kind of person you hope your son turns out to be,” Smith said. “He is one of the finest Christian men you could know. He has had cancer for a while and has fought it for a while and has been very brave and strong throughout it. He had a strong faith in God that anything could be resolved and God would do it in his own way.”
According to family, America’s cancer reoccurred in 2006. He underwent surgery in 2007 and had been on a new cancer medication for a year.
In January of this year, doctors noticed that a couple of spots had not shrunk on America’s liver, so in February he started chemotherapy. On April 30, following a few months of chemo, he began taking a pill form of chemotherapy, but the drug did not seem to work.
“He never recuperated because it had so many bad side effects,” Audrey America said.
Although the cancer had come back, family and friends were still shocked by America’s sudden death. In fact, he worked five days prior to dying.
“We’ve got great faith,” Audrey America said. “We were believing God was going to work this great miracle for him and he was going to have testimony that God healed him.”
Audrey America said though it has only been a week since she lost her husband, she often catches herself looking at her watch, waiting for her man in uniform to come home.
“I miss him so much, I miss his presence,” she said. “We have a schedule. I know what time he comes home for lunch and after work.”
Knowing that her husband is in a better place comforts Audrey America. She said she will miss the “simple things” about her husband.
“I’m going to deeply miss him,” she said. “There will never be another person to fill Tommy America’s shoes. He was a unique, loving, Christian man that touched the lives of this whole Atmore community.”
America passed away June 23 at his home surrounded by family and friends following a lengthy battle with cancer. His wife, Audrey, recalled Monday their final days together including America’s final minutes.
“We spent a lot of time together to the end,” she said. “We were looking eyeball to eyeball when he took his last breath. He called Jesus twice, but he wasn’t fighting it. It was so peaceful, I never witnessed anything like it.”
The procession to the cemetery following America’s funeral service at Greater Mt. Triumph Missionary Baptist Church stopped traffic on Hwy. 21 for more than 15 minutes as family, friends and fellow peace officers honored their fallen comrade. Atmore residents, young and old alike, sat in lawn chairs across from the entrance to the cemetery to pay their respects to America, who managed the west-end substation in town.
“It was a presidential funeral to me,” Audrey America said. “I don’t think the president could have received anything better.”
America received full honors as members of the Escambia County, Fla. and Santa Rosa County, Fla. honor guards placed his flag-draped casket at his grave followed by a 21-gun salute. Dispatchers then cleared the airways for Sheriff Grover Smith to radio America’s call number ES3 one last time and announce him as 10-42, code for “ending tour of duty.”
“I think the thing that really broke my heart is when they made the last call,” Audrey America said.
The honor guard then folded America’s flag and Smith presented it to Audrey America.
“It was overwhelming,” Audrey America said. “It was beyond anything I could imagine. I knew that they were going to do something, but I didn’t know to what magnitude. It was beyond my imagination.”
Even though she was taken back by the outpouring of love for her husband, Audrey America said he was definitely worthy of it.
“He was such a compassionate, loving man,” she said. “He loved people. He wanted to treat people the way he wanted to be treated. He always wanted to give people the chance to make things right no matter what trouble they were in. He was a very compassionate, fair man.”
Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith expressed the same sentiments, adding that Major America would be deeply missed.
“Tommy America is the kind of person you hope your son turns out to be,” Smith said. “He is one of the finest Christian men you could know. He has had cancer for a while and has fought it for a while and has been very brave and strong throughout it. He had a strong faith in God that anything could be resolved and God would do it in his own way.”
According to family, America’s cancer reoccurred in 2006. He underwent surgery in 2007 and had been on a new cancer medication for a year.
In January of this year, doctors noticed that a couple of spots had not shrunk on America’s liver, so in February he started chemotherapy. On April 30, following a few months of chemo, he began taking a pill form of chemotherapy, but the drug did not seem to work.
“He never recuperated because it had so many bad side effects,” Audrey America said.
Although the cancer had come back, family and friends were still shocked by America’s sudden death. In fact, he worked five days prior to dying.
“We’ve got great faith,” Audrey America said. “We were believing God was going to work this great miracle for him and he was going to have testimony that God healed him.”
Audrey America said though it has only been a week since she lost her husband, she often catches herself looking at her watch, waiting for her man in uniform to come home.
“I miss him so much, I miss his presence,” she said. “We have a schedule. I know what time he comes home for lunch and after work.”
Knowing that her husband is in a better place comforts Audrey America. She said she will miss the “simple things” about her husband.
“I’m going to deeply miss him,” she said. “There will never be another person to fill Tommy America’s shoes. He was a unique, loving, Christian man that touched the lives of this whole Atmore community.”
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Alton.E.Godwin.JR wrote on Jul 7, 2009 3:55 AM: