“The Lord saves me from my enemies." ~ 2
Samuel 22:4
On a breezy hillside under
overcast skies, the roaring sound of motorcycles and automobiles with glaring
headlights rolled into the Veterans Cemetery to honor a veteran the mourners
had never met. Respecting those who had faithfully
defended our country, it all came down to a simple motto: “No man left behind!”
Six marines in clean, crisp uniforms carried their fallen
comrade’s cremated ashes to the designated spot for one final goodbye. A Marine Chaplain performed a simple service,
noting their brother-in-arms’ honorable discharge and several medals and
ribbons.
He’d died at the age of 53 due to congestive heart failure;
homeless, indigent and addicted. Little
else was known about his post-USMC life.
With no known relatives to bury him, his cremains sat unclaimed on a
shelf for almost 10 months.
Those gathered didn’t know him by face or by name or even by
his actions. But they’d walked in his
boots . . . and he’d walked in theirs. Memories
of war billowed through their hearts: Iwo Jima, Chosin, Khe Sanh, Fallujah –
Marines at their very best.
The firing of three volleys (one each for duty, honor and
country), broke the silence of a wistful brotherhood. Its origin stems from the
old custom of halting the fighting to remove the dead from the
battlefield. After the dead were
removed, three musket volleys signaled a return to combat.
At the appointed time, the mournful sound of “Taps” echoed
across the autumn landscape; pure, soothing, powerful. It was called "Taps" because it was
often tapped out on a drum as a substitute when firing shots was considered
unsafe due to the enemy’s proximity.
Our American flag was held taught as the stars and stripes
were precisely folded in crisp, tight triangles. One of the spent shell casing was placed into
the folded flag. The leader of the Patriot
Riders, flanked by hundreds of veterans, received the flag, a ritual usually
reserved for family.
Next a soloist sang the Marines Hymn, the oldest official
song in the U.S. military, immediately snapping the crowd to attention. “First
to fight for right and freedom.”
The marine chaplain’s benediction said it all: “Veterans
don’t serve alone, therefore they should not die alone. A proper burial is something they’ve
earned. And it’s also a way to show our
nation's deep gratitude to those who, in times of war and peace, faithfully
defended our nation.”
And finally, the wife of one of the veterans bowed before
the cremains of the man she never met, so that he’d have one person to say
goodbye to him. ”Semper Fidelis” –
always faithful.
“Almighty God, our veterans gave America
some of the best years of their lives. They
defended our nation, served the cause of peace, and stood ready to give life
itself. For all that, America's veterans
deserve the enduring gratitude of all citizens.
May God bless them and the nation they so humbly serve. Amen." ~ George W. Bush, 2001
