Four local heroes were inducted into the Pike County Memorial Hall of Heroes Dec. 6, including Georgia State Patrol Trooper Tony Lumley, Department of Georgia Natural Resources – Law Enforcement Division Ranger Rocky Wainwright, WWII Army Private Ezra Presley and WWII Army Private First Class William Presley.
Highlights of the program included special bagpipe music, a POW/MIA tribute, brief history of the Memorial Hall of Heroes, biography readings of the four inductees and the unveiling of each inductee’s shadow box, and “Amazing Grace” with the posting of a Memorial Wreath followed by a moment of silence, “Last Call,” Federal Q siren blasts, three rifle ships and “Taps” in honor of the four inductees. The Memorial Hall of Heroes Class of 2025 joined 45 previous inductees. The Pike County Memorial Hall of Heroes is open to the public when Zebulon City Hall is open.
“The public is encouraged to check out this amazing museum of Pike history,” said Commander Bryan Richardson.
TONY LUMLEY
Tony Michael Lumley was born in Laurens County, GA but moved to The Rock in Pike County in 1978. He was a baseball and softball player and played football in high school.
He attended Pike County High School and was known as a prankster. In 2000, he entered the Georgia State Patrol Trooper Academy and graduated on Oct. 25, 2002 in the 79th Trooper Class. He was temporarily assigned to Post 47 in Forest Park and then moved to Troop D, Post 1 in Griffin with badge #799. He enforced traffic and criminal laws, investigated crashes and assisted motorists as well as his favorite duties, working at Georgia football games and NASCAR races. Tony and Misty married and had two daughters, Brittany Nicole and Katie Brooke. They attended Hollonville Baptist and Tony was a member of the Masonic Lodge #31 in Zebulon. On Dec. 1, 2003, Trooper Lumley responded to assist in the pursuit of a suspect wanted for armed robbery and carjacking. The pursuit started in Clayton County and continued south into Spalding County. Trooper Lumley joined the pursuit north of Griffin.
With Lumley in pursuit, the suspect exited the ramp to Highway 16 and headed west. Approximately one mile from West Poplar Street and 2.5 miles from the Highway 19/41 intersection, Trooper Lumley attempted to conduct a Pit Maneuver but the suspect turned sharply and the force of the impact launched both vehicles off the road in opposite directions. Trooper Lumley’s vehicle went down an embankment, overturned and came to rest against a large rock next to a steep bank. Trooper Lumley was air lifted to Grady Memorial but succumbed to his injuries the next morning at 36 years old.
The suspect was arrested and later convicted of armed robbery, carjacking and murder and sentenced to life in prison. Trooper Lumley was buried in Moody Memorial Gardens in Zebulon.
ROCKY WAINWRIGHT
Rocky Daren Wainwright was born April 1, 1963 in Thomaston to James Gilbert and Dorothy Margaret White Wainwright as the oldest of two sons. He loved the outdoors and his dream was to become a game warden. He graduated from Upson County High School in 1981 and in December 1985 was hired as a law enforcement officer for the Georgia Department of Transportation. In May 1986, he completed the 240-hour Basic Law Enforcement Program at Columbus College and in June he completed the Peace Officer Standards and Training Basic Certification.
On Jan. 1, 1987, he fulfilled his lifelong dream and became a Conservation Ranger with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division. He quickly advanced to Ranger 1st Class and was assigned to Montgomery and Toombs counties. He later transferred to Taylor County and in 1991 was transferred to Pike County.
Later that year, he married Mandy Marie South and they lived on Hay Road in Meansville. They had two children, Austin James and Laranda Nadine. In late January 1998, Rocky pulled some stranded people from the waters of the Flint River.
The next month, he searched in freezing weather for a man swept away in the rain-swollen turbulent Flint River in the Sprewell Bluff area. On July 1, 1999, he was promoted to Corporal. In August, 1999, Corp. Wainwright and others were asked to assist in finding an 11-year-old girl in northern Twiggs County. They loaded up their equipment in preparation for an early-morning departure the next day and they arrived at the search location by 7:30 a.m.
After searching for hours, he and another team member returned on ATVs to command to get refreshments for the team. While descending a curve, his three-wheeled ATV hit loose gravel and skidded off the roadway where it struck a large pine tree and Cpl. Wainwright was thrown into a utility pole with injuries to his head and chest. He was transported to Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon and pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
He was the first Georgia Conservation Ranger to die in the line of duty in 25 years. He was only 36 years old. He was buried in the Upson County Crystal Hill Cemetery in Thomaston.
EZRA PRESLEY
Ezra Presley was born in Lifsey Springs on March 19, 1919 as the third child of Nora Belle Russell and William Solomon Presley. His father died when he was 7 years old and he worked as a farm hand for a local farmer and completed grammar school. In April 1940, he married. Nellie Belle Gordy who was six years younger than him and they lived in the Lifsey Springs area with Nellie’s brother Willis.
On Sept. 26, 1940, at 21, Ezra enlisted in the U.S. Army and began infantry training. Private Ezra was assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7 1941, the 22nd Infantry Regiment began training for combat, moving from Camp Gordon, Georgia, to Fort Dix, NJ, including amphibious landing training. Sometime in late 1943, Ezra and Nellie conceived a son and Charles M. was born after Ezra’s death.
On Jan. 18, 1944, Ezra shipped out of New York Port and arrived in Plymouth, England on Jan. 29. He trained for the upcoming invasion of Europe and fought in the June 6, 1944 (D-Day), the invasion of Normandy, France. He landed in the second wave of troops on Utah Beach and attacked to the northwest to reduce fortified positions in the towns of Crisbecq and Azeville. On the morning of June 7, Ezra and the 2nd Battalion continued their attack, focusing on the fortified positions northeast of Azeville. From June 7-14, they attacked fortified positions at Azeville, Crisbecq, Chau de Fontenay, Quineville and Fontenay sur Mer.
Private Presley was seriously wounded sometime between June 6-14. He was evacuated to a field hospital but died June 17, 1944. He was initially buried in a cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. His remains were sent back to the U.S. and he was buried at the Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery in Lifsey Springs.
WILLIAM PRESLEY
William Thomas Presley was born in Lifsey Springs on April 22, 1920 to Rhesie Timothy and Rosa E. Presley and was the younger twin to his brother Oscar.
William had a fourth-grade education and worked as a doffer at Martha Mills in Thomaston. He was unemployed when he registered for the draft on April 22, 1940.
He was selected as an infantryman and assigned to E Company, 165th Infantry Regiment. On Oct. 26 his regiment joined the Division at Fort McClelland, AL and trained in the Louisiana Maneuvers which involved some 400,000 troops in Louisiana.
After Pearl Harbor was attacked Dec. 1, 1941, Private Presley and his regiment rushed to the West Coast before being transferred to the Hawaiian Island of Kauai in January, 1942. Presley’s first combat assignment was the Gilbert Islands Campaign and he witnessed a mighty armada bound for the Gilbert Islands on Oct. 31, 1943 as four battleships, four cruisers and nine aircraft carriers with 10 destroyers escorted his transport ship.
In June 1944, PFC Presley and the 27th Infantry Division joined two Marine Divisions in the assault on Saipan. After landing, they gained high ground and captured the airfield, then attacked Nafutan Point and were later assigned to reinforce the 4th Marine Division’s lines. The fighting continued for weeks in an attempt to break the island’s defenses.
PFC Presley was killed in action after being hit by an artillery round on Saipan on July 6, 1944. His remains were returned to the U.S. and he rests at the Beulah Baptist Church in Lifsey Springs. His twin brother, Oscar, also served in the Pacific during the war and survived. T
wo of William’s cousins, 1st Lt. Herbert Presley and Private Ezra Presley were also killed in action the same week in France. Ezra and William are buried near each other in the Beulah Cemetery.
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