Honoring a Local Sailor
Not all casualties happen on the field of battle. Some also occur on the sea.  The Mississippi Gulf Coast lost one of its hometown sailors this past weekend. His name was George Earl Thompson, Jr.
“The thing I remember most about George was his disposition,” said Pascagoula High School coach and algebra teacher Ricky Merrill. “He was always smiling. George was just one of those students you loved to have in your class. He was always respectful.”
Thompson suffered a fatal head injury this past Saturday while serving aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt during normal shipboard operations off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. According to Navy officials, the weather turned unexpectedly worse and Petty Officer 3rd Class Thompson was injured. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he passed away.
Merrill said he always was impressed with Thompson’s impeccable manners to teachers and students alike. “He always said, ‘Yes sir and no sir.’ And you never had to call George down. He was always going to do the right thing. That’s just the way he was.”
My prayers are with his family and friends. It’s a terrible tragedy to lose someone as young and with a promising career ahead of them. May God comfort you and keep you.
source:Â Sun Herald
