“Give everyone what you owe them... if honor, then honor.” ~ Romans 13:7
Nestled amid the Delaware flats, Dover resembles any other
air force base, with ordinary buildings and rows of aircraft lining massive runways.
But its mission is vastly different.
Located in a remote corner, grieving families gather on the
Campus for Families of the Fallen - a sanctuary of sorrow and solace. Here,
they can spend up to two days waiting for the remains of deceased loved ones.
In the mediation pavilion, leather couches, overstuffed pillows, and soft lighting create a comfortable, private place to mourn. There, children scrawl messages of love and farewell on a chalkboard wall, a fragile bridge between earth and eternity.
Receiving and preparing the service members’ remains, falls
to the military’s Mortuary Operations Unit. Dover’s elite Honor Guard performs private
“dignified transfers,” escorting the deceased to waiting vehicles, ensuring
honor and respect for our nation's warriors.
A striking Memorial reminds them of America’s most shocking events
that left bodies for them to handle. Think Benghazi, 9/11, Space Shuttle
disasters.
They will spend the next eight hours preparing. It's often
well after midnight when a hulking, Air Force C5 cargo plane glides to a stop
on the tarmac.
Clad in battle dress uniforms, they wear the same white
cotton gloves worn when rendering honors at Arlington Cemetery. These are not ceremonies
per se; rather, a solemn ritual by a carry team of select military personnel
from the deceased’s service unit.
Alone in the cargo
hold, they inspect flags for the slightest deficiencies. They will strain with
heavy cases of fallen comrades still in full combat gear, packed in ice. Lighter
ones will contain fragments of lives shattered by war.
Outside, families
wait. The team steps forward in perfect unity, carrying each flag-draped case
to a waiting vehicle. No words are spoken, only a chaplain’s prayer breaks the
silence.
Then, after a slow, respectful salute, the remains are
transported to Dover‘s Port Mortuary facility for identification and final
preparation. Specialists meticulously prepare dress uniforms for the deceased,
ensuring every detail is perfect before returning them to families for their funerals.
Poignant moments like
these depict an unfaltering dedication to fallen soldiers at places like Dover
and Arlington. They tell not only a story about our war dead and the soldiers
who honor them, but also a reminder for a nation on whose behalf they serve. Because
they mattered. Because they believed in America.
Someday, wars will
cease and global peace will finally reign. Until that day, may we never stop
honoring those who stood in harm’s way, nor the families who bear the weight of
their absence.
Father God, our hearts overflow with
gratitude and remembrance. Thank You for the men and women who’ve served this
nation, who gave not only the life they lived, but the life they would have
lived, that we might remain free. Amen
