Discovery Blogs -The dog of slain Petty Officer Jon Tumilson refused to leave his side during the Navy SEAL’s funeral earlier this week in Rockford, Iowa. The heartbreaking photo taken by his cousin, Lisa Pembleton, shows Tumilson’s dog Hawkeye lying by the casket.
Navy SEAL U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson was among the 30 American troops killed August 6 when Taliban insurgents downed their Chinook helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade. At his funeral in Iowa, his dog Hawkeye paid his last respects, walking up to the casket, lying down in front of it, and heaving a sigh.
Pembleton wrote on Facebook that Hawkeye was Tumilson’s loyal pet who wouldn’t leave his master’s side during the funeral in Rockford, Iowa.
“I felt compelled to take one photo to share with family members that couldn’t make it or couldn’t see what I could from the aisle,” Pembleton wrote.
Never in my life have I taken one look at a picture on the internet, and immediately started crying. Never. Until this morning. My good friend Crew was friends Jon Tumilson, JT as they called him, and he sent me this picture that’s been floating around the web. If it doesn’t break your heart, I could never understand you as a person. This crushes me. My eyes are welled up as I type. Prayers go out to JT’s family and friends, and all the other Seals that lost their lives. As for this dog, Hawkeye… if he doesn’t have a new home yet, I’ll take him here in San Diego in a second. I’m gonna go cry some more.
-bp