Saying Goodby to an Old Soldier

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by RightHand, Sep 21, 2006.


  1. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Today was a beautiful early fall day in New England. The air was crisp, the sun was bright, and the sky, the most beautiful blue you can imagine.

    It was the perfect day for the Military Funeral I attended this morning for an old soldier, a friend of my dad's and some one I have know most of my life.

    As we all walked behind the horse-drawn caisson to the cemetary, I felt this was a perfect day for honoring this man who had survived for 96 years.

    As the crack of the three Garands rang through the air, most of those in attendance, civilian all, jumped visibly. Our flag was folded, as it always should be, with honor and dignity. As Taps sounded plaintively through the beautiful day, I was carried back to my own father's funeral, something that happens to me everytime I hear Taps and I felt him standing beside me offering a salute to his old friend and comrade in arms.

    It was a good day to say goodby to an old soldier.

    Rest in Peace General Brodersen.
     
  2. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    RIP
     
  3. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    As both my dad and my grandmother have been buried in the last two years I told my wife that I wanted my funeral to be more about the celebration of my life than a somber, mournful event. That being said, I don't expect there is anyway that it could be the former rather than the latter. When someone you care about passes, it is hard. This funeral sounds like it was tailor made for this gentleman soldier. I can picture the horse-drawn caisson, the leaves falling, and the sound of the rifles.

    Thanks for sharing the memory with us RightHand.
     
  4. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I'm with you E.L. I've told my daughter that when my time comes, rather than a cool, dimly lit funeral home, I want my daughter and grandchildren to gather with my few friends for an afternoon in my garden (let's hope it not winter time). I want them to share their stories of our times together and celebrate the joyous moments we have shared with one another. I've never done anything which could be considered "great" in my life, nothing that would be remembered by anyone other than those who care for me so my obit would be fairly short - she came, she did her best, she left. Oddly, that's enough for me.
     
  5. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    It's all a matter of perspective RH, I bet if you asked your kids if you had ever done anything great they could give you a laundry list. I can give you one for my dad, my mom too. My pop was at the time the youngest ever member of boilermaker's union when he worked for Brown & Route during a summer when he was getting his bachelor's. He was from a tiny town, won state in two events in track and earned a football and track scholarship. He was a professor at a local college while building his first business, and made his first million by the time he was 30. The year that he died he won silver and bronze in the senior olympics, it was just a hobby to him. He owned the only mobile cryogenics leak detection and repair service in the U.S. My mom raised us, and him to an extent. She was the rock. Still is. She was there for us whenever we needed her, she wiped our tears, sewed our clothes, read us stories, tought us the important tool of imagination and tought us our morals. I miss my dad, I really do, but my mom is as much of a hero as I have. It's too bad that tombstones can't contain all the words that we need to describe our friends and loved ones.
     
  6. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    If you haven't already, I hope you will share those exact words with your mom.

    To offer counsel without judgement, encouragement even in defeat, a foundation of faith, a model of honor, and neverending love are the most important things memories we can leave for our children and grandchildren. If we are successful, those very things will be be passed from generation to generation. As they came to us, so will they go to our children. That is our legacy.
     
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