My dad is buried at Arlington, and when I watched the way they treated his ceremony, a long retired veteran, with such respect and attention to detail, I was amazed.
They didn’t know my father. But they treated every single aspect of that ceremony with the gravity, respect and courtesy as if it were their own kin, which in a way, I suppose he was.
My heart is filled with gratitude not only for those who serve and have served, but for all those in the system that must deal with the issues of death and dying. No matter your walk of life, it isn’t always easy or pleasant, but especially not for those who must often involve themselves in the deaths of young people in the prime of their lives, and the issues surrounding the death.
They do it even now. My father was given an Army honor guard at his funeral in Shreveport, including a bugler (my dad’s first MOS).
Two of my uncles are buried in Arlington.
My God, will we ever have such MEN as they again?