A U.S. Marine from Springfield, Massachusetts, who was shot and killed along with four other serviceman in Chattanooga, Tennessee, earlier this month has been laid to rest.
Flags lined the procession route in Springfield, near where the private funeral for Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, 40, was held Monday.
The community is saying goodbye to a man who served our country for nearly two decades. About 50 Patriot Guard Riders from Connecticut helped line the church, at the request of Sullivan's family.
"Being a Vietnam veteran myself, I know what some of these guys went through and that’s why I'm here, just to show respect for him, the family and what they’ve sacrificed," said Glen Hathaway, who left his home in Mystic at 4 a.m. to attend Sullivan's funeral.
Greg Battatt, of East Granby, also made the trip.
"You think it's just a tragedy when four Marines and a sailor tragically lose their live on American soil and this hero, a Purple Heart recipient, who has deployed overseas," he said.
The city of Springfield has been in a state of mourning since learning Sullivan was one of five military officers killed in a July 16 attack in Tennessee.
Sullivan joined the Marine Corps after graduating high school. He served three tours of duty, including two in Iraq, and earned the Purple Heart.
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But it was working on U.S. soil as a military recruiter that "Sully," as his friends called him, paid the ultimate sacrifice.
A fellow Marine said Sullivan laid his life on the line to help his comrades. Sullivan is said to have helped more than a dozen out of harm's way before he was shot and killed when a gunman opened fire at a Naval reserve center in Chattanooga.
"He was the smallest guy out of the group, but he had the biggest heart," said Kelly Gilday.
Federal authorities are still investigating the shooting. They've uncovered some clues about the suspected shooter, Mohammad Abulazeez, who they say was following a radical member of the Al Qaeda movement online.
But many say knowing that doesn't make saying goodbye to a man who served two tours in Iraq any easier.
"The outpouring of support from Springfield and all over Western Mass I think is what they're drawing strength from," said Rian Willette, district manager of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for the Hampden, Massachusetts, district.
Sullivan's body received a patriotic escort home through the streets of Connecticut and Massachusetts on Friday.
Visiting hours were held Sunday at T.P. Sampson Chapel in Springfield. The funeral service on Monday in Springfield was closed to the public.
Sullivan was buried in the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, Massachusetts.
