We lost a former member of our department on Veteran's Day.
Today we buried him. His obituary read that he is survived by his daughter, his
longtime companion, three sisters, and three brothers, (one of which is on the
job with me) as well as three grandchildren. This man was 61 years old so I'm
sure he left many others as well, evident by the number of people that attended
the graveside service. He left the department about five or so years before I
came on so I did not know him. I had heard many stories some good and some bad,
but we all know how that goes. I do know his brother. So I will gauge him off
of that.
When I arrived for my first shift on my first assignment
after drill school the brother met me at the door. He greeted me with a smile
and shook my hand. His self introduction really made me feel welcome. He worked
on the opposing shift so as it turns out I was to be his relief. The cool thing
about this guy was he didn't just leave. He took the time to show me around the
station and go over the truck. He opened the compartments, pulled out tools,
even showed me a spot on the gear rack. Now I know most of you salty guys out
there are waiting for the gag. Waiting for me to tell you how he pulled one
over on me, hit me with a bucket of water or something like that. Nope. That
never happened. About a week later I figured out why. This guy had only gotten
out of drill school himself six months prior so he knew right where I was
coming from. I always remembered that and try to be the same way with new guys.
It turns out the gentleman that passed served in the U.S.
Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict. Many of times I have piped a military
funeral, but not too many with the Air Force. The two Airmen were sharp in
their Service Dress. These two men were young, couldn't have been any older
than twenty. I went to them to let them know when I would be playing and asked if
Taps was to be rendered. Neither one of them would break attention. It was
rather strange how nervous they seemed. I tried to lighten their mood a little
by telling them how lucky they were that they were able to enter the cemetery. They looked at me silently with a puzzled stare. I
mean it gets real difficult sometimes seeing as how everyone was dying to get
in there. They didn't get it.
The department sent a five person Honor Guard holding the
American flag, State flag, city flag, and two rifleman (yes we use rifles with
our honor guard) along with the Ladder truck and Heavy Rescue. There were a
decent amount of off duty guys there both in Class A and street clothes. A
handful of retired members were there as well. The members from both trucks
stood at attention wearing their bunker coats and helmets which I think is a
nice touch. But really they did it because not everyone remembered that
ridiculous bell cap you have heard me talk about. The ceremony started with the
moving of the casket. I played "As She Moved Thru the Fair." This is
a beautiful tune based on love lost. This traditional Irish tune is about two
who loved and planned to marry without the permission of her family. She would
pass and return to him in death promising to wait for him in the afterlife. This
is one of my all time favorites.
Now is the point I was concerned about since I spoke with
the Airmen. They began to fold the flag. Veteran's families receive the
American flag on behalf of the United States for their service to their country
and normally this part of the ceremony is very touching. Well the nervousness
got the best of the folder. It would seem to me he just didn't pull the flag
tight enough on each fold. This would cause the end fold to be too short and
not able to fit in the triangle. The folder realized this just a little too
late so he then had to unfold and start over. This really is no big deal except
the family is very emotional and the detail would be at attention for an
extended period. The second time thru the fold went much better. Now is the
point the folder would make up for his lack of attention previously. With grace
and poise he grasped the flag from the top of its triangle and slowly brought
his hand along the fold in the downward direction, waving his hand in the air
so as to call attention to his task. He did this for each of the three sides
each time bringing his bright white gloved hand over his head prior to
connecting back with the flag. He would then properly pass the flag to the
other Airman and give a slow salute prior to making his way off in the distance
to retrieve the bugle. The second Airman would then take the flag and make his
way to the front of the family. Taps was played and the gift of the flag was
completed. Now the ceremony would end but not before I would play Amazing
Grace. Earlier I noticed how the trucks were parked so I planned to direct my
walk away in their direction. I played the first round and turned to begin the
walk away. It went perfectly by the time of the last measure of the tune I was
beyond the truck thinking how great the music must have faded off.
As I returned to the graveside the brother was shaking the
hands of the guys from our department. He held his face of sorrow the best he
could while he shook the hand of each and every firefighter as they waited for him
to pass by. As I made my way to him I remembered how I felt my first day. How,
for that day I looked up to him like a veteran firefighter, one that knows the
ways of the job. Looking up to him as the firefighter he is today. He reached
to shake my hand, I passed it by and gave him an embrace. He thanked me for
playing his brothers funeral, and I was finally able to thank him.
Peter
No comments:
Post a Comment