LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. –– Florida A&M’s national championship winning golfer Taylor Bell is set to play in the 2024 Patriot All-America Invitational to finish 2024 before heading into the new year. Lackey is survived by his wife, Cassie, and sons, Brandon, Alex and Nick.The unique aspect of this Championship is that the players also honor our military heroes. At the opening ceremony, each golfer receives and carries a commemorative PING golf bag with a fallen or wounded hero’s name, rank, and branch. Additionally, all golfers can visit Luke Air Force Base, the training center for our nation’s F-16 and F-35 fighter pilots. There, they meet with the General, fighter pilots, and crew and tour the base while participating in activities rarely seen by civilians.Bell will be honoring James B. Lackey. Senior Master Sergeant James Lackey, 45, of Green Clove Springs, Florida, was assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL. He died April 9, 2010, near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash of a CV-22 Osprey. SMSgt Lackey graduated from Lincoln High School in 1983 and enlisted in the Air Force in 1986. He began his career as a maintenance crew chief. In 1992, he began MH-53 flight engineer training and flew on the PAVE LOW, a now retired long-range special operations and combat search and rescue helicopter. He began his training as a CV-22 flight engineer in 2006.The players carry the bag and honor that soldier throughout the week. Upon conclusion, the bags are shipped back to the player’s school, where they are auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor charity.—-  
 
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For complete coverage of Florida A&M athletics, download the official Florida A&M Rattler app and follow the Rattlers on social media at @FAMUAthletics (X), FAMUAth (Facebook), and @famuathletics (Instagram).Nearly 14 years after his death, SMSgt. Lackey and Major Randall Voas, who also perished in the crash, were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Their superior airmanship in executing an emergency landing saved the lives of two crew and fourteen service members aboard the aircraft. This was the second award for SMSgt Lackey, having already received one for actions in combat in 2002.The 54-hole amateur event held at the Wigwam Resort is the first of its kind to combine the talents of 150 nationally recognized players (84 men and 72 women) in a holiday bowl-like experience. It is the combined effort of the Arizona Golf Association, the West Valley Mavericks, the Golf Coaches Association of America, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, and the Wigwam Golf Resort in conjunction with the tournament’s beneficiary, the Folds of Honor Foundation.The Patriot All-America Invitational features PING All-Americans from the previous season in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, the NAIA, NJCAA, and AJGA ranks, and international team members and special invitees. It takes place annually from Dec. 27-31 at The Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park.