278th
Updated
Talbott, Hamblen County (WVLT) - An East Tennessee soldier with the 278th is killed in the line of duty during a roadside attack Sunday near Tikrit.
Specialist Paul Thomason with Troop G out of Greenville lost his life and three others were also injured.
Thomason grew up in Sevier County; he later spent time in Morristown, and recently moved to Jefferson City.
Volunteer TV’s Chloe Morroni spent time with one of his best friends and shares their reaction to this tragedy.
Paul Thomason is described as a loyal friend, a hard worker, a dedicated husband and father to four children ages 3, 4, 7, and 10.
And now all the soldier's loved one's can do is try to cope with the loss of great person.
"It never hits close to home and now it has....I mean I’m all numb don't know where to go from here," numb because one of Kenny Hardwick’s closest friends is gone.
278th Specialist Paul Thomason died in a roadside attack Sunday when an explosive device went off near his convoy.
"All I ask is for the Good Lord to take care of him," says Hardwick.
The Hardwicks and the Thomasons lived right next door to each other for years.
An Air Force veteran, Paul enlisted as a guardsman in 2003, at age 35, out of concern about the war on terrorism.
"He's brave to do what he's done, strong," says Hardwick.
But Kenny says perhaps Paul's best attribute, his dedication to being a good husband and father to four young children.
"Paul was a great dad, he cooked he cleaned done a little bit of everything," Hardwick says.
Kenny says his daughter Samantha used to play with Paul's children all the time, and now he's just worried about how those children will cope growing up without a dad.
"4 kids 2 old enough to remember daddy, but 2 small, never remember, so hopefully we'll do what we can to make sure they don't forget him," Kenny says.
Kenny says all he can do is help keep Paul's memory alive, and take comfort in knowing.
"I guarantee he's in a better place, if we all live like we should we'll see him again one day," Hardwick adds.
Certainly a tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Jefferson City, Jefferson County (WVLT) - he lost his life doing what he believed in. Specialist Paul Thomason was a member of the National Guard’s 278th Regimental Combat Team.
The Jefferson City soldier was killed on the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
His family mourns and asks the question...why?
WVLT-TV's Ron Sprowl sat down with Thomason's wife and father for a heart to heart talk about the loss of a loved one and the war in Iraq.
This is the first Tennessee combat fatality for the 278th since it deployed to Iraq about five months ago.
Family and friends of Specialist Paul Thomason the third hope it's the last.
"She said ‘are you Amanda Thomason’ and I said ‘yes I am.’ She said I need to talk to you and I said is he dead. She said we need to go inside and talk. I said no... I need to know is he dead? She said ‘yes honey, I'm afraid he is...’"
Sunday was the two year anniversary of the day that American troops launched their offensive in Iraq.
It is also the day Amanda Thomason lost a husband, a father to her four kids and a friend.
"My children have lost the best dad anybody could ever ask for. I've lost my best friend, my best friend that I ever had in my life...I lost him and it hurts," says Amanda Thomason, widow of 278th Specialist Paul Thomason.
Paul Thomason, III, was killed when his convoy was attacked Sunday near the Iraqi city of Tikrit.
Thomason re-enlisted back in September 2003.
His wife and father tell Volunteer TV News it was something he wanted to do, despite leaving behind his wife and four kids, Cora, 3, Isher, 4, Piper, 7, and Megan, 10. Reluctantly they stood by him and respected his wishes.
"I guess in his eyes he was doing what he thought was right. In my eyes it's very unfair, very unfair… everything… the whole situation is unfair,” Amanda says.
Paul's father believes it's time to bring home our troops...he doesn't want any more families to feel his pain.
"Bush's pride and ego and arrogance and his lies is exactly what got him over there. It's what all these other people over there,” says Paul Thomason, Jr., father Spec. Thomason. "Cause us to lose our children's lives, to me it's a waste a terrible waste and I'll never forgive him."
Thomason was scheduled to take a 15 day leave in May. Amanda had planned on flying to Germany to meet him and spend some quality time.
Instead, Paul will fly home to East Tennessee for the very last time.
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