PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICES

CONTACT: Stephen Bell

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 23, 2024

Governor Lee honors fallen Tennesseans at Annual Memorial Day Ceremony

Nashville – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Tommy Baker, and Tennessee Adjutant General, Major General Warner A. Ross II paid tribute to three  service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the State’s Memorial Day service Thursday afternoon.

United States Army, PFC Mark P. Wilson, from Elizabethton, TN, served in Company A, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. On November 8, 1944, his unit was engaged with German forces during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forrest. PFC Wilson was killed when an artillery shell destroyed a house where he was taking shelter. He was reported missing in action on November 8, 1944. His body was unable to be recovered, and the Germans never reported him as a prisoner of war. He was declared killed in action after the war. In May 1945, a resident of the town discovered remains in the rubble of the house and buried them nearby.

U.S. personnel could not identify these remains, and they were interred as unknown in the Ardennes American Cemetery. The remains were disinterred in July 2021 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for identification. On September 12, 2022, PFC Wilson was officially accounted for.

Wilson was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on June 7, 2023, with full military honors.

Tennessee Army National Guard, CW3 Danny E. Randolph joined the Tennessee Army National Guard on April 21, 2009, as an Aviation Operations Specialist. Before becoming a Warrant Officer, he served as an Air Traffic Controller while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011. He graduated from the Warrant Officer Candidate School on May 28, 2015. Upon graduating from flight school on August 21, 2014, he served as a UH-60 Blackhawk Pilot and Aviation Life Support Equipment Officer. Chief Randolph aspired to be a Maintenance Test Pilot, graduating from the Aviation Maintenance Officer Course on October 06, 2020. His dedication to duty and loyalty to his State was evident in his eagerness to volunteer for several national emergency missions, including hurricane relief, wildfire support, and COVID-19 support.

Chief Randolph tragically lost his life on February 15, 2023, in a UH-60 Blackhawk accident in Huntsville, AL. He was born to parents Chester and Patricia on July 23, 1982, in Hendersonville, TN. He married his wife Melissa on May 5, 2017. He was a father to 4 children and 3 stepchildren: Jackson, Laine, Kori, Skyler, Barrett, Avery, and Everett.

Tennessee Army National Guard, CW3 Daniel L. Wadham enlisted on May 14, 2007, as a Combat Engineer but was reclassified to Military Police shortly after completing Advanced Individual Training. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 252nd Military Police Company in 2007. He graduated the Warrant Officer Candidate School on June 06, 2013. Upon graduating from WOCS, he was assigned as a UH-60 Pilot and eventually an Aviation Safety Officer for his company. While serving as a UH-60 Pilot in A Company 1-230th AHB, he deployed again to Kosovo in 2018. His dedication to duty and loyalty to his state was evident in his eagerness to volunteer for national emergency missions, including multiple hurricane relief missions and COVID- 19 support.

Chief Wadham, of Joelton, TN, tragically lost his life on February 15, 2023, in a UH-60 Blackhawk accident in Huntsville, AL. He was born September 29, 1983, in Harris County, TX, to parents Timothy and Debby. He married his wife Rosetta on 10 August 2021. He was father to two daughters, Lillian and Scarlett.

“Today we honor the servicemembers who paid the ultimate price for our freedom,” said Gov. Lee. “Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude for the thousands of men and women who chose to put their lives on the line so we could live in the most exceptional nation in the world.

“May we never forget their courage and willingness to faithfully serve our country.”

“As we remember those we have lost, let us offer a ‘thank you’ for their sacrifice—a ‘thank you’ to their families for all they have sacrificed,” said Baker, “Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed by our state or nation or the people for whom our heroes take the oath to protect and defend.”

“Memorial Day is a day of great remembrance for those service members who sacrificed everything for us,” said Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s Adjutant General. “Out of respect, I challenge everyone to take time today and remember and honor those that gave so much. We need to ensure that their memories and sacrifice are never forgotten.”

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