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Highs & Lows of Military Service

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    USAF Sarge

    USAF Sarge

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    During my son's 10 years on Active Duty in the USMC, he did 3 years down in Hialeah Florida on I&I duty (Inspector & Instructor Duty) with a Reserve Unit.

    During those 3 years his additional duties included conducting Military Honors for funerals. It is documented that he participated in 316 funerals in those 3 years, as a casket bearer, pulling watch at the funeral home, honor guard/detail or honor detail NCOIC.

    Hs stated to me this period of the service was the highest (As he got to honor these people) and yet the lowest (As it has caused him to have depression) at the same time. 316 funerals in 3 years is a lot and takes a toll on any person.

    The below clip is from a young Marine killed in Afghanistan, my son was there as part of the detail to receive him home. As the detail walks to the casket he is the tall one in front of the left column (closest to the camera), and then he becomes to rear person on the right.

    Somewhere I have another video, that a family of a deceased Marine took, of him performing his duty at a gravesite of their loved one.

    He has since told me that he has four military funerals left to do, mine, my brothers, his grandfather aka my father in law, and his own, as he has already done my dads.

    https://youtu.be/rwa1umPWteg
     
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    Snake-Eyes

    Snake-Eyes

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    Military funerals: the only reason I still keep the Class-A's current.

    As aircrew, I remember "HR" flights were always special. Treated mission-planning with extra care because failing to have a "Plan D" meant Murphy's Law would necessitate it out of spite. Honestly, though, they usually went smoothly. Lots of guardian angels riding along, I'm sure.

    On the other perspective, one of my deployments was as a ground guy in an ops center in Afghanistan. I'll never forget the flightline ceremonies there. Way too many in one deployment. We'd form up behind the aircraft. Probably a thousand personnel. Always in the middle of the night so as not to give any notice for the goatfuckers to launch another dumbass mortar attack. No lights. No noises. Whispered commands to the formation. Freezing cold. Very solemn.

    It's a unique opportunity to contemplate the reality of this world when you're standing in perfectly spaced formation, on an abnormally quiet flightline, surrounded by hundreds of fellow service members in multicams, freezing cold, in the middle of the night, in a war zone, everyone is wearing at least one firearm, the "hearse" is a specially modified HMMV, and the casket is an aluminum box with a US Flag wrapped and specially secured to keep it from moving. The pallbearer were always members of the team and unit. Even at night, you could see the snow on the mountains and the stars in the sky. Beautiful geography; worthless society.

    I can't imagine 316 of those in three years. Your son had a tough job. Let him know the rest of us are thankful for his service. How we treat our Fallen is one of Many reasons our military is the best in the world.
     
    SAWMAN

    SAWMAN

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    Quite a bit different from the way we came home from Viet Nam. Both the alive . . . and the dead.
    I am glad that things have changed for the (much) better.
    To all those who served in Viet Nam - - -> WELCOME HOME. ---- SAWMAN
     
    USAF Sarge

    USAF Sarge

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    SAWMAN said:
    Quite a bit different from the way we came home from Viet Nam. Both the alive . . . and the dead.
    I am glad that things have changed for the (much) better.
    To all those who served in Viet Nam - - -> WELCOME HOME. ---- SAWMAN
    Click to expand...

    When my dad, a Vietnam Vet, and retired USAF passed away in 2011, I was amazed at how many people along the drive to the cemetery were mindful and respectful of our grief and his service. There were even a few people out with flags saluting the hearse as it went by. I was caught off guard by this. People have changed a lot, and our Vietnam Vets are finally getting the respect they deserve.
     
    USAF Sarge

    USAF Sarge

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    Snake-Eyes said:
    Military funerals: the only reason I still keep the Class-A's current.

    As aircrew, I remember "HR" flights were always special. Treated mission-planning with extra care because failing to have a "Plan D" meant Murphy's Law would necessitate it out of spite. Honestly, though, they usually went smoothly. Lots of guardian angels riding along, I'm sure.

    On the other perspective, one of my deployments was as a ground guy in an ops center in Afghanistan. I'll never forget the flightline ceremonies there. Way too many in one deployment. We'd form up behind the aircraft. Probably a thousand personnel. Always in the middle of the night so as not to give any notice for the goatfuckers to launch another dumbass mortar attack. No lights. No noises. Whispered commands to the formation. Freezing cold. Very solemn.

    It's a unique opportunity to contemplate the reality of this world when you're standing in perfectly spaced formation, on an abnormally quiet flightline, surrounded by hundreds of fellow service members in multicams, freezing cold, in the middle of the night, in a war zone, everyone is wearing at least one firearm, the "hearse" is a specially modified HMMV, and the casket is an aluminum box with a US Flag wrapped and specially secured to keep it from moving. The pallbearer were always members of the team and unit. Even at night, you could see the snow on the mountains and the stars in the sky. Beautiful geography; worthless society.

    I can't imagine 316 of those in three years. Your son had a tough job. Let him know the rest of us are thankful for his service. How we treat our Fallen is one of Many reasons our military is the best in the world.
    Click to expand...

    I remember when the 2 young Rangers lost their lives on "Hit Night" 19 October 2001. When they brought the body bags back, they went looking for flags to drape over the body bags, we gave them two flags. They told us when they got proper sized flags, they'll return these. We told them no, fold them and place them in the caskets, as they now belonged to the families. The next day the entire ramp was quiet when they loaded them onto the C-17, we were outside for a smoke break when it started. All the Rangers at attention and in formation, we dropped our smokes and paid our proper respect to these two heroes.
     
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