Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A Heroes Welcome


Thank you for your sacrifice, SSgt John Beale. You are a true hero!

7 comments:

Debby@Just Breathe said...

There are way too many Hero's and it just breaks my heart.

Constance said...

The best 12+ minutes I have invested on the internet!

A couple of months ago, Dave & I watched "TAKING CHANCE" an HBO movie with Kevin Bacon. It's the true story of escorting a fallen Marine back home to DuBois Wyoming, a town we go through every time we go to Yellowstone.

There are 2 scenes that absolutely gut me. One is when the casket finally arrives at the airport and Kevin Bacon is met by the Funeral Director. Bacon's character decides to follow the hearse the last 300 miles to DuBois even though his obligation is done at this point. As they are driving these long stretches of Wyoming, where we've driven so many times, they are passed by a semi truck. When the driver looks down and sees the flag draped casket in the back he flips on his lights and he along with all of these other cars sandwich them in a huge funeral procession down this long, lonely stretch of highway!

The other scene is when Kevin Bacon asks the funeral director to open the casket. The director reminds him that due to the nature of his injuries, it is a closed casket. He acknowledges that he already knows this and the casket is opened. You only see Kevin Bacon and the other marine's faces and he comments about all of the attention to detail that was done by those who prepped him, knowing that no one would ever see it! As the movie opened you seen the blood gently being washed off of his hands, a uniform being especially made and so on.

This is a 5 star movie and I think it's one you would really find meaningful!

Thanks for sharing this today!
Connie

Constance said...

Here is the link for the trailer if you are interested.
Connie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtmiLdzzgGE

Constance said...

Me again!

I actually have been thinking about this a lot and I remembered something that really touched me. When our youngest daughter Laura was in High School she got involved in Civil War re-enacting. She eventually worked her way up to Corporal and ran her own cannon crew.

Her first year that she joined she was taught how to fire the cannon by a young man named Jason. A few moths later, he joined the Army. Less than a year later, while the kids were at a re-enactment and were scheduled to "do" the Battle of Vicksburg the next weekend in MS they received word that Jason had been killed in Iraq.

Instead of traveling to Vicksburg the next weekend we attended Jason's funeral. They brought their cannons and they all dressed in their uniforms. In the pouring rain they stood and at the end of the service, fired their cannons. It was the most moving thing I have witnessed. Their attendance was actually a stronger presence than the Army's with their uniforms, TAPS and gun salute! I will never forget it!
Connie

Trish said...

Connie...I have goosebumps just reading about this tribute yo Jason...Awesome!
I will definitely try to find this movie. Thank you.
When my brother-in-law Emailed this video to me yesterday, i just had to post it!

Constance said...

I have the morning free, no house to clean other than my own. While I was looking for something on the internet, I came across this story from 2+ years ago. I thought you might like to read it.
Connie

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2006/jan/21/wake-for-an-indian-warrior/

Trish said...

Than you Miss Connie!