Honor and Death

A few years back we took a family vacation to Washington DC--one of my favorite trips. I think that this should be a requirement for every single American citizen, as your patriotism soars when you are there. You can't help it--it is hard not to feel pride for your country when you see the monuments dedicated to our soldiers, presidents and those who gave so much for our country. Here is the capitol of our country--how can you go there and not be proud?

And Arlington National Cemetery--geesh, that is just something. The Tomb of the Unknown, the changing of the guards, the rows and rows of graves--it is so absolutely beautiful, it is hard to describe. Pageantry and honor were the words of the day. Caring for our dead and celebrating their service was first and foremost, letting the world know what these men and women have done for our country.

My friend, George, was buried yesterday in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Illinois. He was given the most incredible send off by the military that I was honored to be there. I didn't cry at the funeral or at the memorial service--it was the ceremony and the honoring of a veteran that did me in.

We drove up to a pavilion where 5 armed, uniformed veterans waited in attention. Two marines greeted the casket and saluted it as it was pushed to the front of the path. We were warmly welcomed and the ceremony began.

As the two marines flanked the flag-covered casket, George was given a 15-gun salute. Taps was then played by a honest-to-goodness bugler, to which I lost it. The beauty of that song and the pageantry was just too much--I was a goner. I could hardly see the casket and the saluting marines past my shriveled up kleenex.

As the song finished, the two marines saluted the casket again and slowly, methodically folded the flag that covered the casket. Such care was taken with that flag, and those two marines moved in unison without looking at the other. They folded and tucked--crisping the edges, making sure it was perfectly folded and then handed to one marine. He then walked over to George's wife, knelt down and presented her with the flag and 3 shell casings from the salute. He told her that the United States Government was grateful for his service and gave her the flag.

There wasn't a dry eye as the two marines saluted his casket for a final time as it was pushed from the pavilion.

Gees, it was lovely. It was an incredible service for a great guy--something that I don't think he knew he had coming. And if there is one regret, it is that George couldn't be there to see it. I was moved to tears by the pageantry and the honor in which they treated him.

It was his personal Arlington.