VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Navy SEAL killed in action in 2003 was remembered in Virginia Beach Saturday.

Despite the rain, a group gathered at Back Bay Farmhouse to listen to words about IC1 Thomas Retzer.

“He always wanted to be a Navy SEAL even at like five, six, seven years old when we knew him. He got his dream. He got his dream,” said Ret. Navy Senior Chief and family friend Sam Moore.

Retzer was a Navy SEAL in California before moving to Virginia Beach and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). His mom told News 3 she’s so proud of Retzer’s achievements.

“You try really hard not to think about the scary parts and all you can do is be there and support him,” explained Retzer’s mother Leona Retzer.

Fears turned to reality in August 2003 when Retzer was killed.

“He was in Afghanistan and they were ambushed,” said Leona Retzer.

“I was sitting at home reading the newspaper, the pilot newspaper, one night and there was an article about Navy SEALs and the things they were doing and things they were trying to set up for SEALs that were KIA and Tommy’s name was mentioned in it and I had to stop reading it,” said Moore.

In the years since the family has made sure Retzer’s legacy lives on with the Thomas Retzer Memorial Foundation.

“I cried long enough. It was time instead of mourning his life, it was time to celebrate it,” said Leona Retzer.

They held a fundraiser for the past ten years in California. This year they brought it to Virginia Beach. It was complete with a table set to remember those who hadn’t come home and a reminder to honor those who served.

“Keep your veterans in mind. Keep them smart. Keep them safe. Do whatever you can to help them. I know that some of them think the cliche ‘thank you for your service,’ it gets old. But to a lot of veterans it means something,” said Moore.

The money raised at Saturday’s fundraiser goes to help veterans pay for various expenses like bills and appliance repairs.

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – This weekend, 5000 athletes and over 15,000 spectators from across Virginia came out to Liberty University for the largest multi-sport festival in the state.

“We are basically Virginia’s Olympics. There’s just about something for everybody,” said Charity Waldron, the Director of Operations and Media Relations for Virginia Amateur Sports.

People of all ages compete in dozens of sports for Virginia Amateur Sports’ 35th annual Commonwealth Games.

“It truly is like the Commonwealth coming together,” added Waldron.

Youth basketball dominated the courts on Saturday as teams competed for several hours.

“We hoopin as you can see, getting buckets, you know,” said Jayden Reid, a 10th grader from Grassfield High School in Chesapeake.

Reid is one of the players on team Ground & Pound from Portsmouth. The team has been competing in the games for over 5 years.

“Our team, we brothers,” said Reid. ”We’ve been playing with each other for like, since we was in second grade. So like we have a tight bond. It’s a family at the end of the day,” he said.

Ground and Pound coaches Chris, Anwan, and Kenny bring the team back each year because of that brotherly bond and the chance for the players to make more.

“Just seeing all the kids together, all of them getting along. No altercations,” said Chris. “I liked that part of it because you get to meet people from other parts of Virginia that we normally wouldn’t get to see. So I think that’s a good experience for them and them just sharing stories and the camaraderie that go along with them.”

All three coaches agreed their favorite part of the weekend is how the impact on the players goes beyond the courts.

“They get the college experience,” said Chris. “It kinda makes them want to go to college by seeing the campus and a facility. So we definitely love that part of it.”

They’re confident in the team as the second day of the tournament wraps up.

“We’ve been playing great so far. You know, they’re coming together, they’re gelling at the right time. So I think we got a legitimate shot to go this year,” said Chris.

Although the 2024 games wrap up this weekend, the competition, fun and new friendships will be back. Registration is open in January on commonwealthgames.org for anyone who wants to join the Virginia Olympics next year.

Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.

Two additional dogs have died after stays at the same Virginia PetSmart boarding facility where a pet died a few weeks ago, according to animal investigators.

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said two dogs that stayed at the Potomac Yard PetSmart in June died just days apart. The two dogs experienced illnesses and died within a week of being boarded at the “PetsHotel,” the animal rescue organization said.

The pet owners came forward as the PetsHotel was already under investigation for the death of an Aussiedoodle. That complaint was filed on July 1.

All three dogs boarded at the PetsHotel during the same time frame, the animal welfare group said.

Animal investigators said the Aussiedoodle’s body is currently undergoing an autopsy, but the two pet owners that recently came forward both had their dogs cremated.

Since the first owner’s report, the animal services team has been visiting and inspecting the PetsHotel every two days.

PetSmart has been cooperating with the investigation and animal investigators have been interviewing employees about the incidents. The animal investigators have also requested several records from the PetSmart location.

PetSmart told WTOP’s news partner 7News in a statement that the death of the dogs may be due to underlying health conditions unrelated to the dogs’ stay at PetSmart.

Meanwhile, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is urging pet owners to do “extensive research” when choosing an animal boarding facility. The group has shared a list of factors to consider, including the caretaker-to-animal ratio and how often kennels are cleaned. 

“It is important to mention that animal boarding facilities, unlike animal shelters, are not subject to annual inspections by a state agency, and instead are only subject to inspection if a complaint is filed,” the organization said.

This is the first complaint the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said it has investigated at the Potomac Yard PetSmart location.

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