Posted on 06/20/2006 8:32:29 AM PDT by CedarDave
I don't often post vanities, but in light of the brutal killing of two soldiers in Iraq, I want to draw attention to one of the most remarkable media stories I have ever seen. It is a story of how our military notifies the families of the death of a loved one in battle, and the support and compassion given from the initial notification to the funeral and burial. The story won two well-deserved Pulitzer's (unlike that of the NY Times who won by revealing NSA secrets). There are many FR threads on the subject and I encourage you to peruse them all. The link here will bring up the threads. Have tissues ready; you will need plenty.
Just the picture posted with this thread fills my eyes with tears. May our heroes rest in peace with the Perpetual Light shining upon them.
Amen
I've seen it hundreds of times, and it never gets old...
Semper Fi,
NYLeatherneck
I shall save my anger for the enemy for another thread and leave you with this beautiful song. God bless the families of our fallen heroes.
Thank you, Dave. Prayers for our fallen warriors and their families and for our soldiers still keeping us safe. Also prayers today and everyday for Matt Maupin who is still missing and his family.
Do NOT read the original article at work, & have plenty of kleenex ready when you do. I had to stop after a few pages & send the link home.
Thank you for posting this......
It was 7:30AM Saturday February 21st 1968 and the phone dragged me out of a deep sleep. I was a 1st Lieutenant stationed at Perrin AFB in Sherman Texas. I was the Base Communications Officer and had developed an ability to answer the phone within two rings and sound awake and bright eyed. I said, “Good Morning Lt. Mazza. How may I help you? “Lou this is John, (a golf buddy and Command Post Controller), I need you in the command post immediately.” “Do I need to implement my phone tree?” “No and fatigues will be fine.” The last bit meant I didn’t have to shave and shower but to get to the Command Post ASAP.
I buzzed at the door looked into the one way glass window and the door lock was released. I walked in and saw John sitting at the Controller console. I shrugged and he pointed to the coffee urn where a Marine Lt. Colonel was standing. He was wearing his dress uniform and looked as if he had stepped out of a recruiting poster. He walked over to me and introduced himself. “I am Colonel Mitchell and I am the Dallas Area Recruiter.” “Are you Chief Master Sergeant Castillo’s section leader?” I answered, “Yes.” “Lance Corporal Castillo died at Khe Shan and I am here to notify his family.” “He gave specific instructions for the notification.” He handed me the form and I read it. Lance Corporal Castillo stated that he was Hispanic and Catholic. His mother would be devastated by the news so he directed the following. Dad would be notified out of sight of Mom. The notifying officer and Dad, accompanied by a Priest and a Corpsman would then “tell Mom”.
I called Sgt. Castillo and told him that I needed him at the Command Post. I told him that fatigues were fine and no phone tree calls were needed. Ten minutes later the door buzzed and Sgt. Castillo came in. He saw me and began to smile and then saw Col. Mitchell standing by my side. In my whole life this has been the only time that I saw someone stop as if walking into a glass wall. I walked over to Sgt. Castillo grabbed him by the shoulders and said, “I’m sorry.” The Col. notified and explained the process. Sgt. Castillo. Meanwhile John had called the base chaplain and the base hospital and arranged for the Priest and Doctor to meet us at the Command Post. The notification proceeded as directed by their son.
The next week Sgt. Castillo put in his retirement papers. He had a son in the Air Force who was now exempt from Viet Nam service due to a policy of preventing siblings from going into harms way. However, Sgt. Castillo, as a Father, was not exempt and he had not served in country! At his going away party we were all shocked at the effect that this event had had on Mrs. Castillo. I had interacted with her socially during bowling season when she would come to cheer us on. This warm, charming Hispanic lady had long black hair, sparkling eyes and an outgoing personality. Now, she had wrinkles, shock white hair and a morose manner.
(Rocky Mountain) News wins 2 Pulitzers (Final Salute-Marines)
Thank you for your story. As a VN veteran myself, I can relate to the story even though I never had to go through it (I was in country for a full year with the Coast Guard in the same squadron though not the same unit as John Kerry).
Listening to Rush now. Father of a Marine soon to be deployed to Iraq on, madder than hell with the MSM and how the liberals are going to jump on this to make their case we should cut and run.
Bump!
Whoa, that was powerful, and yes I had to reach for the kleenex. It reminded me of Abraham Lincoln's words which were used in Saving Private Ryan...
"I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom."
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