Many pay their respects to late Missouri State Highway Patrolman

SIKESTON, Mo. — Many friends, family and law enforcement officers from around the country congregated at the Sikeston Field House on Friday afternoon to pay their respects to the late Cpl. Lonnie R. Lejeune.

Lonnie Lejeune

A retired Navy chief and trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol since 1995, Lejeune died Dec. 10 in St. Louis, just months ahead of his retirement in July.

Mark Friend, who served with Lejeune in the Navy, eulogized Lejeune and remembered him as an excellent sailor and friend.

In April 1982, Lejeune entered the U.S. Navy and served as a submarine sonar basic maintenance technician aboard the USS Hammerhead and deployed often around the world in defense of the United States.

“Boy did he love that boat,” Friend said, adding Lejeune excelled at sonar technology.

Lejeune was on active duty until 1988, and later, in 2003, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves as a master at arms first class.

Throughout his 23 years in the Reserves, Lejeune was deployed to locations such as Bahrain; Iraq; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; and Ali Al Salem Airbase in Kuwait, where he worked with U.S. Customs. He was selected for numerous honors and assignments and awarded three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals, five Good Conduct Awards, and he earned the title of qualified submarine warfare specialist. His greatest Navy accomplishment was being promoted to the rank of chief petty officer in 2006 before his retirement from the Reserves.

Lejeune also served as a law enforcement officer for many years, beginning as a uniformed officer for the Raleigh (North Carolina) Police Department. Following that, he accepted a position in the 69th Recruit Class of the Missouri State Highway Patrol in 1995.

“(Lejeune) continued to do amazing things with the highway patrol,” Friend said.

Lejeune fulfilled many special assignments as a trooper, including U.S. Department of Transportation schools in Jefferson City; Federal Nuclear School, Las Vegas; Joplin, Missouri, tornado support; Poplar Bluff, Missouri, flood relief; Wappapello, Missouri, flood relief; Ferguson, Missouri, the verdict; Day of Resistance; Stockley verdict; presidential debates of President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and President Trump’s visit to Cape Girardeau. His personal accolades include the Life Saving Award, the Department of Public Safety Employee of the Month, the Hank Johnson Award, Trooper of the Year and the Medal of Honor from the Police Chiefs Association.

“He will forever be my brother,” Friend said.

Joe McCullough, pastor at Murray Lane Baptist Church, gave the sermon at the funeral, and talked of Lejeune’s love for people.

“He loved his country. He loved his family. He loved his fellow man,” McCullough said.

McCullough also talked of Lejeune’s love for model cars, and had a collection of every state police car from every state in the U.S. He also spoke of his love for his dogs.

“Lonnie was a family man, a military man and a protector of citizens,” McCullough added.

Lejeune is survived by his wife of 21 years, Jeannie Gossett Lejeune, of the home in Sikeston. He is also survived by his two sons, Bradley (Haleigh) Coleman and Lonnie Dale Lejeune, both of Sikeston; brother, Lloyd (Renee) Lejeune of Fayetteville, North Carolina; two sisters, Lisa Lejeune Kiser of Sanford, North Carolina, and Lori Lejeune of Iron Mountain, Michigan; father- and mother-in-law, Dale and Joan Gossett of Sikeston; and brother-in-law, Kenneth (Tammy) Gossett of Eagle River, Alaska.

After the service, a convoy of law enforcement vehicles escorted Lejeune and his family to the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, where he was interred with full military and Missouri State Highway Patrol honors.