Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr. 
It is appropriate that I submit the name of Timothy
Doran Kerlee,Jr. He was an extraordinary young man who was one of the twelve
killed at Texas A&M. If you look at the enclosed email that I am sending
with this, you will see. I was one of more than 1300 who attended his memorial
service here in Memphis and knew him through my work with the OA.
Yours in Scouting, Joe Preslar
Tim was quite remarkable, I don't know if you were
aware but Tim was with Jerry as one his assistant scout leaders when he went
to the National Scout Jamboree in 96. Jerry attended the memorial service
Sat. Needless to say he said it was an uplifting experience in the celebration
of a wonderful life an example to us all. So young but yet so very wise.
He truly lived and lives on in our hearts. His mom stated that she attended
the game and along with many others she stood the whole game in remembrance
of Tim the 12th man and the others who lost their lives.
The Twelfth Man
The twelve young people who died were truly remarkable
kids. They were scholars, student athletes, active in Boy Scouts, 4-H, Church
groups, they were leaders. If you had to chose a dozen students to represent
the best of Texas A&M, you probably wouldn't do much better than these.
I have just learned about Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr. He was the twelfth
student to die, when his life support was disconnected last Friday evening.
Let me tell you about this amazing kid.
Tim graduated last year from Germantown High School
in Germantown, Tennessee. He was an Eagle Scout, graduated third in his class,
and was elected to his High School Hall of Fame. He was a student athlete, and
a member of the National Honor Society. He was active in the youth group and
drama club at his Methodist Church.
He was actively recruited by Texas A&M, and
when he enrolled he tested out of his entire freshman year. That is how this
17-year-old could be classified as a sophomore. Tim's father said that he was
thrilled to be at A&M, and especially excited about Bonfire.
When the stack collapsed, his pelvis was crushed,
his arm was broken, and his internal organs were scrambled like an omelet.
On the front page of Thursday's Dallas Morning
News is a large photo of the collapsed stack taken during the early part of
the rescue effort. You can see a team working at the base of the logs to save
a trapped student. About five feet above the rescue team is Tim Kerlee, reclining
on a pile of logs, propped up on one elbow. Unless you look carefully at the
photo you will probably not notice that his legs are lying in an odd position.
What was happening, according to the rescue teams, was that Kerlee was directing
the teams to other students trapped in the stack. He kept telling them that
he was O.K., and he directed rescuers to at least five other students before
he allowed them to take him down from the stack.
He was taken into emergency surgery, and when they
opened him up they found his organs so badly damaged that they couldn't identify
much of what they saw. They closed him up, wrapped him in a sheet to hold
him together, and placed on life support. He lived long enough to see and speak
to his parents. He was aware that he was dying and asked to be removed from
life support. When his parents asked him why he wanted to, he asked them why
he should fight for a few more days of life when he could be in Heaven with
Jesus right now.
Well, he got his wish. I feel sorry that I never
had a chance to know Tim Kerlee, but I praise God for kids like Tim Kerlee.
If you had to pick a twelfth man you couldn't do much better.
Fred Maddox
Submitted 08 Dec. 1999