As Memorial Day nears, Americans’ thoughts turn to the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in our nation’s armed forces.
In the current issue of 225, the magazine tells the stories of four locals—Navy Lt. Michael Scott (Scotty) Lamana; Lance Cpl. Ryan S. McCurdy; Sgt. Jeffrey Lynn Kirk; and 1st Lt. Christopher W. Barnett—who sacrificed everything to keep us all free and safe, as told by their families.
Lamana’s parents, Mike and Wanda, say they want their son to be remembered for his warm, caring nature and great sense of humor. He was loyal to friends and cared deeply for the men who served under him, they say.
A Baton Rouge native, it seems Lamana was born to serve. Graduating from Catholic High in 1988, he was fulfilling his calling by the time he reached LSU. While juggling a full-time class load and participating in Navy ROTC, he became a volunteer fireman at the St. George Fire Department and worked as a reserve deputy for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy and embarked upon a military career. He completed flight training at Pensacola Naval Air Station, married the love of his life, Lorna Duco, and continued skyward, steadily rising in rank and responsibility. His last assignment included monitoring the fleet from the Naval Operations Command Center and briefing the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.
It was Sept. 11, 2001, and Lamana should have been enjoying a day off. But staffing was short at his duty station at the Pentagon that morning, and he didn’t hesitate to help. As a result, he was one of 189 who perished as the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon building. He was 31 years old.
Lamana was buried with full military honors in Section 64 of Arlington National Cemetery.
Read the full feature for more on Lamana and the other servicemen.
