Sgt Thomas James Strickland

Last week the Douglasville National Guard unit lost three men in one incident in Iraq. Only one, Thomas Strickland, was from Douglas County -- Joshua Dingler was from Hiram in Paulding County -- and Paul Saylor was from Carroll County. I'm sure you'll recognize the family names Strickland and Dingler, as we have old cemeteries here for those two families.

Douglas County just posted the following in regard to Sgt. Strickland's funeral tomorrow, August 23, 2005.

Honor Sergeant Thomas Strickland on Tuesday Afternoon Line the Processional Route with American Flags to Honor our Fallen Hero

Sergeant Thomas Strickland will be laid to rest Tuesday afternoon in the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church cemetery after his 2 p.m. funeral at Dorsett Shoals Baptist Church.

Let us honor this brave hero by lining the processional route. The procession will leave Dorsett Shoals Baptist Church and go west on Dorsett Shoals Road to Georgia Highway 5, south on Georgia Highway 5 to Georgia Highway 166, and east on Georgia Highway 166 to Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church just east of Capps Ferry Road.

Please bring American flags, banners, or just come to the roadway side and stand in salute to this brave young man and support his family during this time. God Bless America!

File contributed by Sandy Whittington