George "Tony" Peters

Psalms 56:3     What time I am afraid I will trust in thee.

I am a Marine, I died a Marine, I’m proud I served my country.

Tony went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Born and raised in Scott County until he returned from serving in the Marines, at which time he lived in Kingsport until his death. Tony attended Gate City High School until he left school at the age of seventeen and joined the Marine Corps. He turned eighteen in the middle of the ocean going to Vietnam, where he served three tours.

Tony was wounded four times in Vietnam, shot down twice on a helicopter  where he as flying combat gunner. He served two tours with the 11^th Engineer Battalion as a combat engineer and equipment operator, and one tour with Mag 39, where he flew as a combat door gunner with HMM 161 and HMM 262, where he met his crew chief, Dale Ward of Elizabethton. Tony earned four purple heart medals, good conduct medal, national defense medal, Vietnamese service medal, Vietnamese Campaign medal, three combat air medals, three strike combat air wings, Presidential unit citation medal, plus meritorious unit citation medal with combat V, combat service medal, plus other citations. He always said it wasn’t about the medal, it was about serving your country and remembering the ones who died for us, which included his best friend, L/CPL Doyle Wells (Duke) Reeves of Tallahassee, FL, who got killed in Vietnam on March 11, 1967.

After returning from Vietnam, Tony worked at several places, but his big love was being a professional wrestler. He wrestled for 31 years, and that’s how he met his great friend, Ron Wright and his brother Don Wright. Tony held several titles and loved to wrestle.

Tony’s greatest honor was meeting his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on March 28, 1999. He started traveling and singing gospel music, which he loved very much. Then he was ordained at Speers Ferry Church and was very proud to preach and sing.

Tony wrote this obituary to say to everyone he was glad he served his country, he loved his country, it’s flag and all the veterans who served. But most of all he wanted to say he was proud to serve the Lord above everything else in his life, and he will be guarding his post in heaven until he sees you coming home to be with him there in that great mansion.

Tony was preceded in death by his father, Elder Fred A. Peters; mother, Stella Peters; half-brother, Kermit Osborne and his precious little poodle, Sissy who died on sixth day of November 2013 on his lap; and little Scooter and Little Rusty.

He is survived by his loving wife, Kathy Peters; daughter, Sonya Peters and boyfriend, Tommy Berry; son, Randy Peters and wife Sandi; granddaughter, Alicia; brother, Earl Peters and wife Karen and their children, Tara, Tabby, Tanner and Zoe; and his fur babies, Lucky and Chloe.

Graveside services will be conducted on Monday, August 21, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at Oak Hill Memorial Park, with Dr. Vic Young officiating. Military honors will be presented by The American Legion Posts 3/265.

Pallbearers will be Randy Peters, Earl Peters, Tommy Berry, Jim McGhee, Royce Tipton, John Pennington and Tanner Peters.