As seen in a video posted on Twitter, people lined the streets of Enterprise on Friday to welcome home Navy Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson.
Watson, a 23-year-old Coffee County native who also spent many of his formative years in Blount County, was killed in last week’s shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The hero’s body arrived at Dothan Regional Airport on Friday and then a procession took him to Searcy Funeral Home in Enterprise.
Considering Fort Rucker’s presence, the area has a high percentage of military families, making Watson’s murder that much harder on the Wiregrass community. People lined the procession route with American flags, honoring his service, sacrifice and life.
Homecoming for #USNavy Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson. The Working Man honoring the Military Man. #America #Hero #Sacrifice @RepBarryMoore @realDonaldTrump @us_navyseals @GovernorKayIvey @ChairmanLathan @CharlieDaniels @JohnJamesMI @HenryThornton95 @Jim_Jordan pic.twitter.com/YRGpicnmHJ
— SAM (@neverringthebel) December 13, 2019
A public memorial service for Watson will take place at the Enterprise High School Performing Arts Center at 11:00 a.m. next Saturday, December 21.
Burial will be the following day at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo. Governor Kay Ivey has ordered flags to half-staff on that day of internment: Sunday, December 22.
Watch @weartv‘s broadcast: WATCH LIVE: NAS Pensacola shooting victim Naval Aviator Joshua Kaleb Watson’s casket arrives at Dothan airport. https://t.co/3OwRc3W78s https://t.co/iaYNd2K30p
— Hoodie_Ross (@darealdoneli) December 13, 2019
RELATED: How the hometown of a NAS Pensacola shooting hero is paying tribute to one of their own
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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