Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson had a very close friend in his life – his dog, Hawkeye. Tumilson, a former San Diego resident, was killed August 6 in the Chinook helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of 29 other American service members.
Tumilson’s funeral was in Rockford, Iowa at Rockford Senior High. Hawkeye was among the 1,500 mourners who attended. As you can see by the heart-wrenching photo above, Hawkeye refused to leave his master’s side during the service.
The picture was taken by Lisa Pembleton, Tumilson’s cousin. Pembleton contacted Home Post with this message:
Hawkeye was his loyal “son”. To say that he was an amazing man doesn’t do him justice. The loss of Jon to his family, military family and friends is immeasurable. I did not plan on taking any pictures other than with family. However, from my seat at the funeral, 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.