When U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville visited a Rotary meeting in Dothan earlier this week, his agenda included more than just a speech and handshakes.
He also carried a wooden shadow box, a carefully prepared gift for his Regional Director, John Ferguson, that initially left Ferguson without words.
Inside the handcrafted case was a neatly folded United States flag, alongside the medals, commendations, and mission patches earned by Ferguson’s late father during his service in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Ferguson’s father, a Vietnam veteran, passed away in 2016, but his time in uniform had always been a source of pride for the family.
“I was just speechless,” Ferguson recalled. “They went way above and beyond. It’s gorgeous.”
The project began after Ferguson learned he could request his father’s military records through the senator’s office. He had expected the documents and medals to arrive in the mail. Instead, Tuberville personally delivered them, having arranged for the items to be professionally mounted at his own expense.
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Ferguson said the moment carried special meaning because both he and the senator share a bond through their fathers’ military service — Tuberville’s father served during World War II. Ferguson said he had shared several conversations with Tuberville about their fathers’ war stories.
“My dad had always wanted to play college football, but after getting into some trouble in high school, he turned his focus to serving his country,” Ferguson said. At just 17, and with reluctant permission from his parents, he enlisted alongside a few close friends. One of them, John Dennis Leary, Ferguson’s namesake, was killed in action in Vietnam.
Years later, Ferguson visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., where he traced Leary’s name from the wall. That memory, combined with Tuberville’s gesture, made Monday’s presentation especially poignant.
“It was just an incredible gesture,” Ferguson said. “Coach was really excited to give it to me. They went above and beyond.”
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].