A Chattanooga hero’s remains return home after being missing for eight decades
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- For over eight decades, a Chattanooga family had one single question.
What happened to Sergeant Sanford Roy on a bombing mission in Nazi Germany back on April 8, 1944?
After learning the answer last year, they’ve brought the remains of the American hero back home.
Sgt. Roy’s great nephew, Charles Broadrick, said, “It’s been an adventure, I’d guess you’d say, you don’t normally have four months to plan this.”
Since the discovery of the remains of Sgt. Sanford Roy, his family has thought through how his return home should look like.
Sgt. Roy was killed in a bombing mission near the town of Salzwedel, Germany, and due to the Cold War and property access issues, his remains were not found until last year.
Getting him back to Chattanooga was a challenge, as the remains had to be flown into McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville.
The family was then given a police escort from there back home, where they saw all of East Tennessee taking a moment to honor a hero.
Broadrick said, “It was amazing coming back from Knoxville. All the people stopping on the side of the road… One man was out of his truck, at attention.”
Sgt. Roy’s great niece, Darla Roy Blazek, added, “Every small town that we came through, every single town, we would pick up another law enforcement, and they would follow us… The procession we had from Knoxville will never, ever, leave us.”
The surviving family members were not alive to meet Sgt. Roy, as he lived between 1913 and 1944, as those family members who knew Sgt. Roy never received closure during their lifetimes.
However, their parents passed down many stories about him, how the hero was their favorite uncle.
Blazek recalled, “My dad always talked about how Uncle Sanford would teach him how to go out ride bikes, or drive cars illegally, and he was never married, so they were basically his kids.”
They would have one message for Sgt. Roy if they could speak to him.
Broadrick emotionally said, “Thank you.”
Blazek added, “And you’re home. You’re home! You’re going to rest here for the rest of your being. Our beings. Everyone. He’s going to rest here at home in Chattanooga where he was born and raised.”
The public here in Chattanooga will have their chance to honor Sgt. Sanford Roy next week.
Broadrick said, “They’re welcome to come to the visitation. It’s on monday from 4-8. Then, the service is at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, it’s at 12:30.”
The visitation will be at the Chattanooga Funeral Home on Highway 153 in Hixson.
A procession to the National Cemetery will begin from there on Tuesday.
If you would like to participate in that procession, you are asked to be there by 11:30 that morning.
Additionally, the family asks in lieu of flowers, to donate to Wreaths Across Chattanooga.
They also say they are very grateful for the law enforcement and Wounded Warriors who helped escort them from Knoxville to Chattanooga on Friday.
