HAMPTON — Fighting back tears, Steve Grone recounted his last conversation with his son, Staff Sergeant Tanner Grone, just one day before his tragic death.
“That morning I talked to him … he said he would call mom tomorrow,” Steve Grone said. “Erica never got a call, but instead he got a call from the National Guardsman saying 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 Wednesday at Hamptons American Legion Post 35 as Tanner Grone’s name was added to the Global War on Terrorism Monument. The monument bears the names of all New Hampshire military personnel who have lost their lives in the Global War on Terrorism since Sept. 11, 2001.
Every year, Post 35 holds a ceremony to honor the fallen and, as needed, names are added 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 service members, who come from every corner of New Hampshire, took up arms in the nation’s time of need, to fight the terrorists who hate our nation, its values and everything it stands for. … They are noble examples of the pride, patriotism, selflessness and sacrifice that define the best of America.”
Tanner Grone, 25, of Gorham, was one of five Special Forces airmen killed when their helicopter crashed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training exercise on Nov. 10, 2023. He enlisted in the Army in 2017 and served multiple tours of duty in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and in Afghanistan.
Steve Grone described Tanner as a good and humble son who enjoyed snowboarding and other sports. After deciding college wasn’t for him, Tanner joined the Army with dreams 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, an Army unit that provides aviation support to special operations units.
“From that point on, he was very secretive and he was deployed a lot,” Steve said. “The only thing we got from him was a phone call saying, ‘I’m leaving, I can’t tell you where I’m going or for how long. Love you.’ We got those calls a lot.”
He said Tanner died during his last deployment, just before he was to report to flight school.
“Tanner loved what he did, it made him very happy,” Steve said. “Everyone said he was a joy to be around. Some called him a little brother, others said he was a consummate professional. He could joke with the best of them, but at the same time, when the mission came, he was all business – the pilots and crew in the helicopter knew that if Tanner’s name was on the list, they were good.”
Steve said attending the ceremony provided a sense of comfort because it gave others the opportunity to “recognize (Tanner’s) sacrifice and our sacrifice as well.”
“At least his life was not in vain,” he added.
Tanner was the youngest of two children, 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 supported her.
“I can’t remember a day for him,” Lemoine said. “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’s gotten harder over time, “because it feels more real.”
“We were used to him being deployed,” she said. “We were used to the times where he couldn’t talk as much — he and I still did Snapchat every day, but we didn’t call each other or see each other every day. So now enough time has passed where we should have seen him, we should have gotten a phone call, it feels more real.”
Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of Tanner’s passing, and every day since then, Lemoine has shared that something has reminded her of him, creating memories both cherished and bittersweet. In July, she honored him by running in the “Wear Blue: Run to Remember” marathon in San Francisco.
“He’s remembered in the military as a saint, but I also remember the times we bullied each other, and the times we were mad at each other about something, and that’s what makes him human, that’s what makes him my brother,” she said, holding back tears. “I think those memories are just as good, that you can look back on and laugh … instead of just happy and heroic moments.”
This article originally appeared in Portsmouth Herald: Hampton adds new name to Global War on Terrorism Monument
