Honor for our former Service Members

I read an article on Military Dot Com that said The Army will give Full Military Honor at the Burial of Military Members Killed in Action (KIA). This means that “ALL” Soldiers KIA will be treated the same, if Buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Enlisted and Officers will have the Ceremony with a Horse drawn Caisson. The service will be given to members of other Services if requested by the Family.

I thought this was already being done for all Honorably Discharged Service Members when requested by their Families. Well I guess I was misinformed. In my opinion all Honorably Discharged Serviced Members should receive Full Military Honors. Even those Vets that live a long distance from any Military Installation. When it is requested by a family to have a Military Ceremony for a fallen Vet, the Military should do all in their power to send a representative. When I read the Article I was reminded of my Uncle’s Funeral.

A couple of years ago my Uncle Willie R. Copeland, who served in the US Army Air Corps in WWII on the shores of North Africa, died. My brother was in charge of the Funeral arrangements and requested there be a detail sent from Ft. Benning, Ga. to perform Military Honors at the Gravesite. When we got to the Cemetery there were no Soldiers to do the Honors. The Funeral Director asked me, since I was the only one attending the Funeral in uniform, to present the Colors to my brother.

This was the proudest moment in my 22½ years in the Military. It was also my most embarrassing moment as well. I was proud because I presented the Colors at my Favorite Uncle’s Funeral to my Big Brother. I was embarrassed because, as the only Service Member present in Uniform I was “The Military” for all my Family Members attending the Funeral. I had to listen to all the questions about why the Military didn’t show. I had so many folks ask me where were the Soldiers and why didn’t they Shoot and blow the Horn? I got so tired of making excuses for the Army. They didn’t understand that I was just one Soldier in a huge Family of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen.

Again I say I think it is a great gesture to give the same Honor to Enlisted just as they do the Officers when they are KIA and Buried at Arlington. But I also think that all Service members should be treated the same if they are Honorably Discharged and the family requests a Military Ceremony. It should not matter if they are Enlisted or Officer. Nor should it matter if they are KIA or Died of Wounds. (That is another story all together). We should do all we can to show respect to the People who sacrifice so much for our freedom.

MRBC

A Soldier

26DEC08

2136