(Reporter’s Note: On behalf of the Elizabethton Star, an apology needs to be made about the story in regards to the Angelversary ride scheduled for Sunday. The article, which ran in the Friday print edition of the paper, had glaring grammatical errors and inadvertent information was left out of the article. The first draft of the article was placed on the page by mistake by the writer. Sincerest apologies go out to the family of Airman White and those that deserve honor and recognition during this time. – CC)
The story of one local veteran that gave his all for the United States will span through Washington and Carter County this weekend.
Air Force Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24, who passed away June 9, 2010, while serving with the 48th Rescue Squadron in Afghanistan, will be remembered during the seventh annual Angelversary remembrance service and memorial ride on Sunday, June 11.
The ceremony, spearheaded by White’s mother, Brenda Shelton — Gold Star mother and Rolling Thunder Tennessee Chapter 4 member — gets underway at 12:30 p.m. at the Johnson City/Washington County Veterans Memorial located on the corner of West Market Street and Veterans Way.
Following the ceremony, a memorial ride to Carvers Gap in Roan Mountain will take place with assistance from the Johnson City Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Carter County Sheriff’s Office and the Elizabethton Police Department.
“It is always an excellent time,” Kay Nave, Rolling Thunder Tennessee Chapter 4 secretary, said. “We think this is a perfect opportunity to honor Senior Airman White and the others that have given their life for our country. This event, along with repatriating Army PFC Reece Gass this week, allows us just another opportunity to honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and it especially fits just days after Memorial Day.”
Nave encouraged the public to take time other to either pay homage during the ride or participate in the memorial ceremony in Johnson City.
White, a native of Erwin, lost his life in an HH–60 Pave Hawk helicopter crash near Jackson, Afghanistan. Others that perished during the incident included Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael P. Flores, Air Force 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz and Air Force Staff Sgt. David C. Smith. Air Force Captain David Wisniewski was the pilot of the helicopter and passed away as a result of injuries following the accident.
According to his family, White worked by the motto “that others may live” in his job as part of an Air Force Pararescue unit.
White was a four-year veteran of the Air Force and had been deployed to Afghanistan just six weeks before passing away.
Information provided by Rolling Thunder indicated that White’s Squadron was tasked with flying into combat zones to pick up and treat the wounded.
“He had a tattoo on his back that read, ‘Greater love has no man than this than to lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13’. That is what Senior Airman Benjamin D. White did — he gave the ultimate sacrifice,” the local chapter said in a statement to the Elizabethton Star.