VALDOSTA — Frankie Gay plans to spend today, the fourth anniversary of his son’s death in the brutal Afghanistan battle of Wanat, at the Fort Benning memorial honoring that sacrifice.

As this anniversary arrives, Gay of Lowndes County has television networks interested in his documentary on Wanat and a new endeavor with the mission of seeing more American flags placed throughout Valdosta.

But today, Gay will spend time remembering the son he was getting to know until his death on July 13, 2008.

Army Cpl. Pruitt Allen Rainey, 22, of North Carolina was among a small number of other American soldiers in Chosen Company. They had been assigned with little equipment, shelter or reinforcements to an area of Afghanistan infiltrated by the enemy Taliban.

In a fight with what has been described as hundreds of Taliban, nine American soldiers, including Rainey, were killed and 30 more wounded.

Gay and his son had been estranged during Rainey’s childhood, but they came to know each other in the months prior to the corporal’s death. They shared a love of poker and they often spoke of playing a Vegas tournament upon Rainey’s return to the states. Gay said he heard from Rainey by email almost daily during the Afghanistan tour. They spoke often on the phone.

After the military, Rainey planned to attend the University of Florida. He wanted to be a wrestling coach.

Then, amidst all of the plans for the future, Rainey died in Wanat.

“We had a big future planned out and a lot of time to make up, but the Lord had different plans,” Gay says.

The guilt of not knowing his son better, of not spending more time with him  earlier, has been one of the most difficult parts for Gay. Dealing with the Army in the aftermath has presented another series of difficulties.

Gay and the other Wanat families followed separate investigations into what happened in Wanat, each one with varying and unsatisfying results.

Two investigations found three commanding officers negligent. Gen. David Petraeus headed one of these investigations.

On one occasion, the Wanat families were told in the morning the three commanding officers were negligent and would face reprimand. Later the same day, following a lunch, an Army general told the families he did not believe the commanders negligent and he would issue no reprimands.

Though the Army dedicated a memorial to the 173rd Airborne, which includes Rainey’s name and others lost at Wanat, and a fourth investigation led to an Army manual based on mistakes made in the battle, Gay says he and other Wanat families feel betrayed by the military.

The manual ignored past investigations’ findings and blamed the platoon leader rather than the commanders. The Army never held the commanders responsible, Gay says.

“The Army never took full responsibility for what happened to these soldiers,” Gay says, especially recalling the lunchtime turnaround when the Army went from plans to reprimand the officers in the morning to telling the families the officers had been exonerated by that afternoon. “It was like hell in a bottle. (It) just blew us away. It threatened to poison us for the rest of our lives.”

Making the documentary has offered Gay the opportunity to heal.

“Dealin’: The Battle of Wanat” features several soldiers who were there four years ago. It details what happened from their perspectives. Gay said he became close with many of the Wanat soldiers and families during the various investigations. These soldiers became like family during the making of the documentary.

He has also included these soldiers in his other endeavor, Chosen Few Flags, a company offering American flags with an easy to install flagpole. Gay says he cannot bring himself to charge these soldiers for these flags. He sends the flags free to them. On the recent Fourth of July, Gay spent the day installing flags throughout Lowndes County.

His goal with Chosen Few Flags is to see Valdosta “become the most patriotic city in the nation,” with an American flag visible everywhere in the city. The flags are American made and each purchase includes a donation to charities such as Sears Operation Rebuild for Heroes at Home, Wounded Warrior Project, and heroportraits.org.

Several weeks ago, Gay took “Dealin’” to a national documentary convention where numerous television networks and other producers viewed presentations from 40 selected films. While most films received about a 10-minute presentation, producers asked questions regarding “Dealin’” for approximately 45 minutes. A&E, CBS and HBO have expressed interest in showing the documentary, Gay says.

Yet, no matter what else, he says, through working with the many soldiers and doing his part to ensure people remember their service and his son’s sacrifice, “Dealin’” has helped Gay find his way to the next stage.

“This documentary, it really saved me,” Gay says. “I went into a depression that I don’t wish on anybody, but going through this process, it helped me accept my son’s death.”



More information on “Dealin’” documentary, visit www.thebattleofwanat.com

More information on Chosen Few Flags, visit www.chosenfewflags.com

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