In Memoriam There are things about military memorial services that always get to me. It usually starts with the arrival, you take your seat and you notice at the front, the display. Kind of a headstone marker, consisting of a pair of boots, loaded rifle standing vertically with a helmet on the butt stock, dog tags dangling, and a portrait of the fallen soldier. Some of the portraits are very stern looking, very military… Others show a playful side, full of smiles. Depends on the soldier. Then, the official party arrives and Amazing Grace, using bagpipes, is played. When the Irish came to America, they found jobs in the Police and fire departments. The use of the bagpipes at those funerals became commonplace and spread further. There’s something about the way that the pipes sound, and the melody of Amazing Grace… Speakers then come up and talk about the soldiers. How they knew them, what they were like. Be they a volunteer’s volunteer or someone just doing what they see as their duty. How they all laughed and cried, how they all became family. After the speakers and chaplain are done the roll is called. The company First Sergeant calls off the last names of designated soldiers in the audience. Eventually, he calls the last name of the Fallen. Doe … SGT John Doe … SGT John A. Doe Then the rifles fire Then the rifles fire Then the rifles fire. The first rifle volley always makes me balk and blink, even though I know it is coming And then Taps is played. Taps is so beautiful it hurts. Finally the soldiers in attendance approach the aforementioned memorial and render one final salute before about facing and marching out. I learn some things from these services. I learn how the pipes and bugle are beautiful. I learn how these people lived. I learn that it’s easier for me not to cry out of my left eye than my right. I learn the hurt of my family. I’ve been to two services for four men in the past eight days.
Taps is a song, usuually played on the bugle that signals the end of the day, lights out. More significantly though, it is played at funerals and memorials. here is a wiki article on it. And here's where you can hear it.
Thanks, I played the music from the first link on my flute so I know which tune it is now. I always thought it was called The Last Post, is that a different tune or just another name for the same one?
Taps is very similar to "The LAst Post" which is the music played in England, Australia and NZ, it can be heard here, The dawn service on Anzac day at the War Memorial here in Canberra is quite spooky. its usually still quite dark and they usually douse the build ina red light, with the lone bugler standing on top of the building in a spot light, playing the Last Post... Very moving and I hate to cry, and it always gets me a little choked up. Edit: Cos I found a better version of the Last Post
Hugs to you. You've had some difficult times. Another thing that I've noticed at military services is the moment when they remove the American flag from the top of the casket, fold it into the triangular shape, and present it to the wife or mother of the deceased. In the Air Force, they will also occasionally have four jets fly overhead in a V formation. One position in the V is empty.(The leader flies point, with two planes angled on his right, and one angled on his left) It's the Missing Man formation, I believe.
We used to sing this verse in Guides... Day is done, gone the sun From the lake, from the hills, from the sky All is well, safely rest; God is nigh. I think it was supposed ot be the hopeful message rather than the other 2 verses which are more closure... Anyway, Brad, I'm terribly sorry for you...keep your chin up, people are here for you.
In the words that our chaplain spoke on a Wednesday morning not too long ago. I have prayed to God. And God has not answered my prayers. Three more of our soliders have given their all since my last post on this matter. Two from our battalion, and one from the detached platoon of our company. Brian Wright was the soldier who was lost from our company. From the stories that everyone has told me I know that I am a worse man for not knowing him. He was a good man, too young to leave us. Even though I was not there. Even though there was nothing anyone could do. I still felt failure. Even realizing that it's not rational, I still feel that I've failed the soliders that I've sworn to protect. In retrospect, I suppose that I feel this way for all of the soldiers in our task force to a degree. Especially since I've worked with most of them for 6 months prior to Iraq. But, when you see your men shaken because of this, it drives it home. If Platoon SGTs and First SGTs are the fathers of the platoon/company, then medics are the mothers. Even powerlessness is a failure. I can take heart (and here is where some people will pat me on the head as deluded) that these people have been accomplishing their jobs. Long and hard though it may be, it is being accomplished. Just the other day, a sheikh who exhorted his people to boycott the last elections has offered to help secure these next elections polling places. To prevent them from being bombed. This is progress. For those who wish to http://brian-wright.memory-of.com/Timeline.aspx
He was younger than me... My condolences, Brad. My deepest condolences to you, and to all who knew or wished they knew those that have fallen.
younger than me, too... I've only been here a couple of days, brad, and you don't know me to speak of, but I send you my thoughts and prayers, to you and all those who are trying to work towards peace in troubled places. One can disagree or support political decisions, but anyone with any common sense can only respect the guys (and girls) who actually go out there and do there best to help others. Being a soldier is tough, being a medic in a peaceful place can be tough too, being both, I can't even imagine. **huggs**
[quote:a6d45810f2="Roman_K"]He was younger than me...[/quote:a6d45810f2] He was the same age as my brother... it makes me sick to think about it...
While under normal circumstances, one single funeral already can shape the memory of an entire year, and a year with [i:b7376527db]several [/i:b7376527db]funerals to attend would surely be remembered as a hard one - I just can't imagine what it means to have to attend the burials of som many -young- people in such a short time span. Its a horrible thought. [quote:b7376527db]...Even powerlessness is a failure. [/quote:b7376527db] It is not. Only not trying when you had the chance is. When you weren't given the chance, then it isn't. I've known people, and heard of many, in all kinds of tragic connections, who suffered the "guilt of the survivors", simply asking themselves wether they deserved getting allong with their lives when people they knew, who also would have deserved far more years on earth, weren't. I never made the experiences in life that would make me capable of comprehending, I suppose. I know you know all this too well. I hope I don't sound condescending, I'm far from wanting that. Take care.
