A tribute to Officer Nathan Rogers: an American hero

Update: here are funeral arrangements for Nathan Rogers:  Calvary Baptist Church of Red Bank, 5201 Dayton Blvd is where visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 26th, from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM and Wednesday, May 27th, from 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM. The funeral will be held at Calvary Baptist on Wednesday, May 27th at 12:30 PM, followed by a procession to his burial at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

In June of 2014, I was fortunate to meet Chattanooga Police Officer Nathan Rogers, his wife Sarah, and several fellow police officers. I also spoke with Nathan’s father David. I wrote and produced the stories you will see and read below. Nathan passed away late Friday night, some 14 months after he was diagnosed with cancer.  He was only 31 years old.  His will to live surely extended his life beyond what doctors had predicted. He protected us all, here at home and abroad. I would like to offer this tribute in his memory.  Here is my original news story from June 2014:

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

On Veterans Day 2014, 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)

In March 2014, 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.”

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.

Sarah and Nathan Rogers, June 2014

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