Honoring a local Gold Star Mother and her son’s ultimate sacrifice
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As America continues celebrating its 250th year, we sat down with a local Gold Star Mother whose son’s sacrifice continues to inspire generations.
Ninety-seven-year-old Jo O’Neal, of Northwest Georgia, was recently honored during a parade in Chickamauga, where the community recognized both her and the memory of her son, Army Specialist Samuel Steven Lance.
On May 1, 1970, Lance was killed in the line of duty during the Vietnam War, just 30 days after arriving in Vietnam.
O’Neal smiled as she remembered the son she still misses every day.
“He was so handsome and just a good boy. He never gave us any trouble or anything. He was my oldest child,” O’Neal said.
She recalled the conversation they had before he enlisted.
Although college later on was an option, she said her son felt called to serve his country.
“He said, ‘I’m not going to college just to stay out of Vietnam. I’m going. I’m going to Vietnam, and I’m going to get my two years in, and then I’ll go to college.’ He got killed in 30 days.”
She said her son’s selfless nature was evident long before he put on a military uniform.
“He stayed at home. He didn’t date or anything. He stayed at home with the girls so I could work. He was just that kind of man. But he was also independent.”
When asked why she believes her son chose to enlist and whether she ever wonders what life could have been if he had made a different decision, O’Neal reflected on the opportunities he chose to leave behind.
“He knew we didn’t have money for college at that point in time. Oh, I’ve regretted him turning down those things a lot. I think it was just something he felt he had to do,” O’Neal said.
More than five decades later, she says she can now share stories about her son without the tears that once came so easily, choosing instead to remember the joy he brought to their family.
Following his death, O’Neal became an active member of her local Gold Star Mothers chapter and eventually served as its president.
Through that role, she found purpose in welcoming home the service members her own son never had the chance to join.
“And I said, ‘I’m going to tell you, fellas, something that I couldn’t ever tell my son. But I’m telling you from the bottom of my heart that I’m proud that all of you got to come home.’ I hollered out as loud as I could, ‘Welcome home, heroes,’ and they stomped the floor and hollered. That’s the best thing I can tell you.”
As the nation marks 250 years of freedom, O’Neal’s story serves as a powerful reminder that behind every fallen service member is a family whose sacrifice endures for a lifetime.
Her son’s legacy, and the countless others who gave their lives in service to the country, continues to be remembered through the love, strength, and resilience of Gold Star families.
