Choking back tears

**WorstPE** · 07-02-09, 12:53 PM

Well I have never done this before.

A PFC died in Afghanistan last week and his body was sent here to NAS JRB Fort Worth. We stood out on the street and saluted the funeral on it's way out of base.

This was my first time doing this. When I was stationed in Lackland AFB if any soldier, sailor, marine, or airman died they were flew into Randolph AFB.

Just seeing the faces of the parents in the windows... Took all of my military bearing from breaking.

The kid was just 20...

**ALPINESTAR** · 07-02-09, 12:57 PM

yeah its sad when young people's lives end so early..

**CivilWars** · 07-02-09, 12:57 PM

Salute!

**Big_Boze** · 07-02-09, 01:07 PM

R.I.P. Soldier.

**Consultant** · 07-02-09, 01:09 PM

Rest in peace, brave warrior.

**rock_lobster** · 07-02-09, 01:14 PM

RIP

**WileECyte** · 07-02-09, 01:38 PM

I was on a flight during the early months of the war in Iraq that was carrying a soldier's coffin home. An honor guard of 4 soldiers in full dress uniform were on the plane. Four passengers in first class gave up their seats to the honor guard. The captain announced that we were carrying Private (forget his name) home to Dallas Fort Worth and he asked our patience and understanding because the honor guard was going to need to exit the plane before anyone else so that they could unload the coffin. It took an extra 45 minutes to disembark once we reached DFW, but no one seemed to mind.

The Wall Street Journal Photo Blog always has very moving pictures in their feeds... and this post reminded me of some of them:

[img width=700 height=732]http://s.wsj.net/media/0612pod11.jpg[/img]
Caden Parrish, 4, saluted his father’s arriving coffin at a Birmingham, Ala., base Thursday. Army Spc. Charles Parrish, 23, was fatally wounded in Iraq, June 4. (Bernard Troncale/The Birmingham News via Associated Press)

[img width=700 height=503]http://s.wsj.net/media/0615pod07.jpg[/img]
Soldiers carried Lance Cpl. Nigel Moffett’s coffin at a Belfast cemetery Monday. He was killed in action in Afghanistan May 30. (Peter Morrison/Associated Press)

[img width=700 height=500]http://s.wsj.net/media/0617pod04.jpg[/img]
Susan Springle, left, and her son, U.S. Marine Cpl. Charles K. Springle Jr., and other family members sat during interment services for her husband, Commander Charles K. Springle, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Tuesday. According to the Defense Department, Mr. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, N.C., was killed in a shooting at a combat stress clinic at Camp Liberty, Iraq, on May 11.(Alex Brandon/Associated Press)

**Imisnew2** · 07-02-09, 02:47 PM

Very sad indeed... I nearly cried. I cannot imagine how I would feel if I were in that situation.
I don't know what to say.

I wish him and his family peace.

**flame** · 07-02-09, 05:40 PM

A friend sent me a video of a soldiers procession, it was amazing to see all the people lining the streets and saluting the fallen hero. That is the kind of news we need to see. Not the punks yelling and picketing funerals.

Also with BAMC here in San Antonio being the Military's top burn unit, we have lots of wounded soldiers come in. My wife is in and out of the hospitals and has seen some of these veterans. It is amazing to hear what they have to say, they are an inspiration.