The perfect post for Memorial Day.
We're not Marines in my family. We tend to be the temps - those guys who enlist for the duration of a war, then return home. Almost all of them Army. My dad was Artillery (his hearing, in those pre-protection days of WWII, was gone before middle age), his brother Signal Corps in Korea, my brother was Electronics Repair in Vietnam (a vital part of the mission - the Army needed their mobile phones). In this generation, my son served in the Navy repairing the communications hardware, my daughter performed Quartermaster's duty in the Guard.
All returned to civilian life safely.
Not the Gold Star Families' experience. We saw a documentary yesterday - I cannot praise it enough - Bringing the Fallen Home. They follow, not just the soldiers who died, and their families, but also the people who provide the services - escort, getting the uniform ready for the funeral, preparing the body, notifying the family, supporting the family through the process - all are shown to be incredible examples of sensitivity and compassion, and aware of the gravity of their jobs.
I highly suggest watching the film this weekend.
Kevin Bacon did a film several years ago called Taking Chance which portrays a Marine Officer who volunteered to be the escort officer for a Marine, named Chance, who was KIA in the sandbox. Great film.
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