AS PROBABLY ONLY A FEW OF YOU KNOW, I AM A MEMBER OF THE KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD MILITARY HONORS TEAM. AS AN ADDITIONAL DUTY, OUR MISSION IS TO PAY LAST MILITARY RESPECTS TO SOLDIERS.
YESTERDAY IN KANSAS CITY, OUR TEAM PAID OUR RESPECTS TO AN OLD SOLDIER. THIS SOLDIER HELD THE RANK OF CORPORAL. DURING THIS PARTICULAR CEREMONY I MADE A BIG MISTAKE. I LOOKED DIRECTLY INTO THE EYES OF THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME I COULD FEEL THE TEARS START TO COME. THE LAST TIME I COULD EVER REMEMBER CRYING WAS MY GRANDFATHERS FUNERAL AND AT THE END OF THE MOVIE, WE WERE SOLDIERS WHEN MEL GIBSON CAME HOME TO HIS FAMILY.
AFTER THE FOLDING OF THE FLAG, I HAD TO SLOWLY SALUTE THE FLAG. I SWEAR I COULD FEEL THE OLD LADY'S EYES FIXED DIRECTLY ON ME. THE TEARS IN THE POOR WOMANS EYES WERE NOT ONLY TEARS OF SADNESS, BUT TEARS OF PRIDE. THE ENTIRE FAMILY STOOD A LITTLE TALLER AS THEIR SOLDIER WAS BEING HONORED.
THE HONOR AND SADNESS IN THAT MOMENT MAKES THE PAST NINE YEARS OF SERVICE WORTH IT. THE OPPORTUNITY TO PAY RESPECT TO A FALLEN BROTHER/SISTER IS MORE GRATIFYING THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD. IT IS TRUELY AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE ULTIMATE THANKS TO A SOLDIER FOR THEIR SERVICE. THOUGH I DO NOT LIKE TO SEE FALLEN SOLDIERS, I CAN ONLY HOPE AND PRAY THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS GRAND OPPORTUNITY AND PAY MY FINAL RESPECTS TO THOSE WHO HAVE RESPECTED AND SERVED OUR NATION. THIS MAY SOUND VERY MACAB OR TWISTED, BUT I HOPE ONE DAY SHERRY WILL BE ABLE TO FEEL THE PRIDE THIS OLD LADY FELT AS HER SOLDIER WAS BEING LAID TO REST. THE WORDS HERE CANNOT DESCRIBE THE EMOTIONS BROUGHT TO EVERYONE DURING THE CEREMONY. I END THIS SHORT BLOG BY SALUTING ALL WHO HAVE SERVED PAST AND PRESENT, IF NOT FOR THEIR SERVICE OUR COUNTRY WOULD NOT CONTINUE TO BE THE GREATEST NATION.
Friday, May 2, 2008
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