HAMPTON — Fighting back tears, Steve Grone recounted his final conversation with his son, Staff Sergeant Tanner Grone, just a day before his tragic death.
“That morning I spoke to him … he said he would call mom tomorrow,” said Steve Grone. “Erica never got the call, but instead got a call from the National Guardsman stating he needed to see us … we had a good idea of what they wanted to tell us.”
Nearly 90 friends, family and community members gathered at the Hamptons American Legion Post 35 Wednesday as Tanner Grone’s name was added to the Global War on Terrorism Monument. The monument bears the names of all New Hampshire service members who have lost their lives in the Global War on Terrorism since Sept. 11, 2001.
Each year, Post 35 holds a ceremony to honor the fallen and, if needed, adds names to the monument.
“We are here to honor the sacrifice of the 82 names on our monument,” said Berkley Bennett, commander of Post 35. “These servicemen and women, who hail from all corners of New Hampshire, took up arms in the country’s time of need, to bring the fight to the terrorists that hate our nation, its values and all it stands for. …They are noble examples of the pride, patriotism, selflessness and sacrifice that defines the best of America.”
Tanner Grone, 25, of Gorham, was one of five aviation special operations forces killed when their helicopter crashed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Nov. 10, 2023, during a training exercise. He enlisted in the Army in 2017 and deployed multiple times to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, as well as Afghanistan.
Steve Grone described Tanner as a good and humble son who loved snowboarding and other sports. After deciding college wasn’t for him, Tanner joined the Army with the dream of becoming a Blackhawk pilot.
Tanner, he said, received his maroon beret and joined the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the Night Stalkers, a unit in the Army that provides aviation support to special operations forces.
“From there on, he was very secretive and would get deployed very often,” said Steve. “The only thing we would get from him was a call stating, ‘I’m leaving, I can’t tell you where I’m going or how long. Love you.’ We received those calls many times.”
He said Tanner died during his final deployment, just before he was supposed to apply for flight school.
“Tanner loved doing what he was doing, he became extremely happy,” said Steve. “By everyone’s account, he was a joy to have around. Some labeled him as a little brother, others said he was a consummate professional. He could have fun with the best of them, but at the same time, when the mission came, he was all business – pilots and crew in the helicopter knew if Tanner’s name was on the roster, they were good.”
Steve expressed that attending the ceremony brought a sense of comfort, as it allowed others to “recognize (Tanner’s) sacrifice and our sacrifice as well.”
“At least his life wasn’t for nothing,” he added.
Tanner was the youngest child of two, with a sister, Emily Lemoine, who was a year and a half older. Like many siblings, they would fight one minute and be best friends the next, but Tanner always had her back.
“I don’t remember a day before him,” said Lemoine. “His name should never be on that wall, none of their names should be on the wall.”
Lemoine said talking about Tanner never gets easier. In fact, it has become more difficult over time, “because it feels more real.”
“We were used to him deploying,” she said. “We were used to the times when he couldn’t talk as much – he and I still did Snapchat every day, but we didn’t call on the phone or we didn’t see each other every day. So now it’s enough time that’s passed where we should have seen him, we should have gotten a call, it feels a lot more real.”
Tuesday marked ten months since Tanner’s death, and every day since, Lemoine shared that every day since, something has reminded her of him—bringing both cherished and bittersweet memories. In July, she honored him by participating in the “Wear Blue: Run to Remember” marathon in San Francisco.
“He’s remembered in the military as a saint, but I remembered the times when we picked on each other too, and those times we might have been mad at each other for something, and that just makes him human, that makes him my brother,” she said, holding back tears. “I think those memories are just as good where you can look back and laugh… instead of just happy and heroic moments.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton adds new name to Global War on Terrorism Monument
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