Honors

Well, today was a busy one. I was busy working funerals at our Iowa Park location. The morning service was a bit intriguing to me for it was one for a retired soldier in the US Army. With my dad being a disabled veteran of the Vietnam War, my interest is always peaked when I see another person who has fought for our country, and I love to see the respect given to each one who passes.

I have seen many military funerals and have dealt with many Honor Guard Soldiers who come to render honors, but today, I noticed something different about this group. This group was like every other group of soldiers in the Army that come to render honors in that, they were all in uniform, looking their absolute best. They all had combat patches on their arms which represented their recent tours in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. They were all very kind and respectful to the family and our staff, but I noticed something about halfway through their honors that made them suddenly stand out to me. What I noticed was that there was not one "white" soldier in the guard! There were two women, one black, the other Asian, there was a Hispanic young man, an Asian young man, and three black gentlemen. In this day and time I don't know why I am surprised by this, but I was and the more I thought about it, the prouder I became to be an American. Where else in the world are people accepted, no matter their race or background? Where else will you find such a diverse group of people all gathering for a common cause? Where else but in the United States of America.

It's nice to see what men like my dad and so many others have fought for to continue to remain strong, no matter what forces may rage against it. May not seem like a big deal, but I found it very inspiring.

-approved by Farley Wells, CMDI who wants me to remind everybody that HE TOO was in the Army... yay Farley! Are you happy now?