Gold Star family remembers son, brother, almost 18 years after his death

Maurertown, va. (WHSV) – There is an American flag, a statue of a soldier and a lonely grave in a small clearing on the side of the Alonzaville approx. For the family of private first Class Thomas Wilson it is a place of peace and a room to remember her son, her brother and her boyfriend.

Thomas Wilson was born on the property and grew up where he is now resting in Shenandoah County. Wilson went to West Virginia University for two years to graduate from wildlife and fishing management.

Julie Wilson, his mother or 'Ma', as he liked to call her, said he loved the field work, but hated the documents, so he joined the army instead.

After the basic training, it was stationed part of the 173rd air brigade and in Italy. In May 2007, he was deployed to Afghanistan during the Enduring Freedom operation. He never made it back to the Shenandoah valley; Four months after his assignment, he was shot during an uprising on August 27, 2007.

“I just had the feeling that something was wrong, but the next morning there was a knock on my door and when I saw the uniform – I just felt that Thomas was killed,” said Julie Wilson.

Julie was a single mother of four children – two boys and two girls. She said the family was separated when the news broke. Thomas' older sister was in South Carolina on college, she and his younger sister were in Lynchburg and his younger brother Ethan was in the high school in his catering job.

“It was just a nightmare from that time,” said Julie.

His family describes Thomas as the all-American boys. He was part of the National Honors Society, took part in 4 hours and played basketball at the Central High School. He loved drawing, hunting, fishing and being in nature.

“He would come in with living snakes, frogs. He would put them into small aquariums and one day he came out and said:” Ma, I have to tell you something – the snake I have, “remembered Julie.” I said whatever you do, don't tell the girls. “

Above all, his family describes him as a friendly soul and a “defender” of people who were often left out.

“If you were his friend, you are his friend for life,” said his mother, adding that his favorite film Forrest Gump was – proof of his loyalty and his desire to “just do good”.

“My brother was definitely a great influence on my life in relation to a role model and someone I could look up as a child, and when I got older. He was someone I wanted to be,” said his younger brother Ethan.

After his death, his family found consolation in the words of this affected Thomas, from his commander to the friends, whom he served next to him.

“[His commander] sent me a message and he said: “He did everything I asked Thomas.” He said he jumped on it, he did it, but the most important thing is that he was good in everything we asked him, ”said Julie.

The Wilsons learned stories about Thomas as armor and how meticulously he was about how the weapons were returned. They also defy the painful stories of the day on which he was killed.

“When Thomas was shot, he fell into his [friend’s] Lap. He sent me a message that night and said I just want you to know that Thomas is not suffering. We knew he knew that we were all there with him. “

Julie also remembered the moment when his girlfriend told her the story of the doctor who worked on Thomas to the field hospital, even though he was already gone.

“Only the love that these boys had for Thomas and the respect – the way they took care of him [because] I wasn't there to take care of him. It was something special, ”said Julie.

For the Wilsons, their lives were changed forever, but they held out through faith. His brother Ethan took care of himself at the age of 17 and now drives into his 15th year in the army as an officer and company commander. It even served in the same battalion as his brother and went in the same halls he once made in Italy.

“I wanted to serve somehow – before it was killed. But after that it was just as if I had the cake like an icing on the cake, which I wanted to serve and step in his footsteps to continue his name and his service and what he did for the country,” said Ethan.

A lot has changed in the 18 years since his death. There are nieces, partners and additions to the family that Thomas will never meet. Nevertheless, the family said that everyone will always remember him and honor.

“He was really driven and felt called to serve and finally died sacrificed to protect people around him,” said Ethan. “At the end of the day, this summarizes who he was and what he meant for other people.”

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