Saluting a Veteran: Officer Nathan Rogers

Officer Nathan Rogers is embraced at Calvary Baptist Church, Nov. 9, 2014 (photo by Suzanne Lemery)

Last Sunday, Calvary Baptist Church in Red Bank honored its veterans.  Among the honorees was a Tennessee Valley hero, Nathan Rogers, who has fallen upon hard times.  I was honored to spend some time with Nathan and his wife Sarah recently. If you don’t already know and love him, I think you will by the end of this story.

Calvary Baptist youth minister Aaron McGuirt recognizes Officer Nathan Rogers (photo by Suzanne Lemery)

Eight months ago, Chattanooga Police Officer Nathan Rogers was protecting you and me.  He was chasing a suspect through the woods and fell.  He was slow getting up, and noticed a tingle, some numbness in his right side.  This 30-year-old Marine just shook it off.  Pain is part of the job. It comes with the territory.

But, the pain didn’t go away.  It got worse.  His steps were unsure, his speech became slurred.  He knew he wasn’t up to the job.  In a matter of weeks, this strapping six-footer had gone from one of the city’s fittest cops to a man who needed help getting around the house.  He didn’t want to leave his job, but he knew he had to.  His wife Sarah said, “He knew it was the right thing to do.”

The early diagnosis was hopeful. Sarah said, “We did X-rays, MRI’s, EKG’s, CT scans, you name it.  She was afraid he was having strokes, but there was no evidence of that.  Eventually, an MRI revealed a spot on his brain, but it had shrunk within a week.  “They didn’t find anything serious,” she said, “So we thought it would just fade away.”  When it didn’t, and his mobility declined further, doctors at Vanderbilt performed a brain biopsy.  The new diagnosis: a form of brain cancer,  glioblastoma, Grade 3.  Surgery was not the preferred option.  Instead, there would be immediate, aggressive treatment of chemotherapy and radiation.

Nathan Rogers in Iraq

A battle-tested combat veteran of two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nathan finds comfort in the fellow Marines who surround him to this day.  CPD Officer Curtis Roth is one of them.   Like Nathan, he has pulled many an all-nighter on the streets of Chattanooga.  “We’ve got his back,” Roth said.  “Nathan would die for you.  Among our officers, he was strongest, and most active.  He’s a Marine’s Marine.”

Fellow Officer Jeremiah Cook remembers being a rookie patrolman who was in awe of his colleague’s bravery.  “When other people run away from danger, Nathan is running toward the danger.  Somebody has to do it.  I saw him do that several times.”

Nathan’s days are unlike any he has lived before.  Accustomed to being on the front lines at home and abroad, he now spends most of his time fending off exhaustion from treatments.  He undergoes speech and physical therapy twice a week.  A recent MRI revealed a slight growth in the tumor.  To be on the safe side, doctors have added another chemo treatment, every other week at Vanderbilt. He has been taking chemo pills on a monthly basis.

For relaxation, he enjoys watching sports on TV.  He also appreciates his visitors from the police department and Calvary Baptist Church in Red Bank, where he and his family are members. Faith plays a big role in their lives.  Sarah said, “We’re just taking it one day at a time.  We know God will provide for us.”

Nathan with his parents, Janice and David Rogers

Nathan’s parents are David and Janice Rogers, both longtime Hamilton County educators.  David told me, “Nathan has always been such a great son, he’s always loved his family, has a big heart, and has always served his country with duty, honor, and respect. ” He speaks with pride of his son’s four years as a heavy machine gunner in the Marines, ending his active duty in the summer of 2006.

Fellow Marine and CPD Officer Curtis Roth summed it up beautifully.  “Nathan’s life has always been about service, overseas and here at home.  It’s all he’s ever known.  Now it’s our turn to serve him.  This community needs to rally around him.  With a lot of prayer and support, and lot of fighting on Nathan’s part, I have no doubt.  He’ll be back.”

Sarah and Nathan Rogers

Near the end of our visit, with Sarah speaking on behalf of Nathan, I noticed him fighting back tears when the word “cancer” was mentioned, more than once.  Officer Nathan Rogers is a proud fighter, who has defended our nation’s freedom repeatedly, and has put himself in harm’s way against those who threaten our families and our property.  He won those battles, and I have a feeling he wanted to tell me he wasn’t finished fighting.  Cancer, you better get ready.  You haven’t faced Nathan Rogers yet.

(Special thanks to Suzanne Lemery Photography for the photos from Calvary Baptist Church)