Lumbee Tribe sends our heartfelt condolences to the family of Retired Navy Captain Garette Lockee

The Lumbee Tribe of N.C. sends our heartfelt condolences to the family of Retired Navy Captain Garette Lockee. Mr. Garette passed away this week in Tennesse. He celebrated his 101st birthday in August and was our oldest living war veteran and one of the highest-ranking Lumbee officers. Mr. Garette was also one of the first Lumbees to participate in Division I athletics, while running track in the 1940s for the University of South Carolina. A milestone that would afford him membership in the Robeson County Athletic Hall of Fame. During World War II, Mr. Garette would join the military to serve his nation along with his two brothers, Arch and Otto, becoming one of the first American Indians to command a Navy ship. He commanded three Navy ships—the USS Brough, the USS Turner, and the USS Wainwright. Mr. Garette participated in nine major offenses in the South Pacific during World War II. He never lost a sailor, nor suffered major damage to his ship and was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Mr. Garette's also had a passion for raising Bird dogs, He founded the National Bird Dog Museum and the National Bird Dog Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tennessee. The Lumbee Tribe recently presented Mr. Garette with a proclamation to honor him and his life of service. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.