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Plant City soldier remembered as 'a wonderful young man'

Staff photo by JIM FARQUHAR

Family members are consoled as the casket of Army Spec. Eric Lembke is taken from the church Saturday.

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2009

Updated: 11/07/2009 12:16 pm

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Eric Lembke

PLANT CITY - To Tom Norton, father-in-law of Spec. Eric N. Lembke, a soldier killed in Afghanistan Oct. 23, the visitation service at Plant City's First Baptist Church on Friday was sadly reminiscent of his daughter's wedding with Lembke in 2003.

Mashelle Lembke stood bravely in the receiving line as hundreds of mourners filed through the church to pay their respects to the family and to the fallen soldier.

"As I prepared to walk Mash down the aisle in this same church at the wedding, I told her, quite seriously, it wasn't too late to change her mind," Norton said. "She looked at me and said 'I love him, Dad.'" So I did what I was supposed to do? We walked down the aisle and I gave my daughter to Eric."

That love was remembered this morning during his funeral. Young people who knew Lembke and his wife admired the devotion they had for each other and their marriage.

"Eric was a wonderful young man. He had the gift of knowing how to bloom in any place he was found," said Tommy Warnock, associate pastor of Plant City's First Baptist Church who had officiated at their marriage and was now speaking at his funeral.

About 400 people came to pay their last respects. During the service, photographs flashed on two big screens as music played in the background, first of Lembke while on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan to the tune "Let me come home"; then photographs of Lembke with his wife and children, as "I'm Flying Without Wings" played; and finally, photographs of Lembke's casket being removed from a military escort plane and with hundreds of soldiers gathered at the bases in Afghanistan, Delaware and MacDill, to "Amazing Grace."

A about 125 motorcycle riders, including some from Nam Knights, Riders of the first Baptist Church, Patriot Guard, Faith Riders and Florida West Coast Riders joined the procession to the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.

Lembke, who was raised in Plant City, attended Plant City High and graduated from Simmons Career Center in May 2002, was a member of 569th Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.

He enlisted in the Army Jan. 29, and was decorated with the national defense service medal, Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals with combat star, global war on terror medal, a good conduct medal, the Army service ribbon, the combat action badge, and posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

Lembke, 25, leaves behind his wife and two children, Alexis, 6 and Thomas, 3.

"Eric was a loving husband and dedicated father," Norton said. "When he came to the states for two weeks in June, he flew Mash and the kids home to Tampa to stay with us and visit with all the family."

"He was proud to be in the Army," Norton said.

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