Linda Tisdale hasn't seen her son Roy Lin in more than three years. Tisdale was supposed to see the Texas A&M graduate and decorated veteran this Thursday.
"He had just gotten back from Afghanistan in October of last year."
Instead this Thursday, she will attend her son's funeral.
"It was a total shock to me. He told me he said 'Mom I want you to come here for Christmas.' So we talked about that and that's my last conversation with him," said Linda Tisdale.
Her son was 42-year-old Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale, the victim of a shooting Thursday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Tisdale served in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
"All these deployments he had you kind of think there's most of a possibility of it happening then, but not here in the United states," she said.
The gunman, Spc Ricky G Elder of Kansas shot a second soldier from California. That soldier survived. Elder died Friday. Special agents from the Army Criminal Investigation Command are still investigating the shooting.
Those who served alongside Tisdale say he was outstanding soldier, husband and father of two children.
"Roy was just and outstanding leader and soldier. He was a great trainer and cared for the men." said 1SG Darrell Cassle, USA (Ret).
Family and friends are beginning to make their way to the Brazos Valley for Tisdale's funeral.
"This unfortunately is when you find out who your real family is and we've got them coming from all over the world," said Charles Tisdale, Roy Lin's brother.
Tisdale's body will be flown to College Station later this week.
For his mother, reality is still setting in.
"The children bury their parents, but you don't bury the children," said Linda Tisdale.
Funeral services for Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale will be held Thursday, July 5, 2012, at Central Baptist Church in College Station. Services will begin at 2pm followed by burial at the Aggie Field of Honor. In lieu of flowers the family has set up a memorial fund through PayPal that will help his children pay for college. You can send the money through PayPal to the following e-mail address: Jeepzero3@hotmail.com
