Cemetery Duty
 

This just kind of struck a nerve with me and I thought I would post it. It is not to cause controversy so please don't start any. That lady gave her whole family and didn't complain as much as most of us do about having to walk across a street. If the moderators think it is out of place, then by all means please remove it.


CEMETERY DUTY...
"HERE'S TO THE CORPS" Semper If!


Cemetery Escort Duty

I just wanted to get the day over with
and go down to Smokey's for a few cold ones.
Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 1655.
Five minutes to go
before the cemetery gates are closed for the day.
Full dress was hot in the August sun.
Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever --
the heat and humidity at the same level --
both too high.

I saw the car pull into the drive,
'69 or '70 model Cadillac Deville, looked factory-new.
It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's pace .


An old woman got out so slow I thought she was paralyzed.
She had a cane and a sheaf of flowers,
about four or five bunches as best I could tell.
I couldn't help myself.
The thought came unwanted,
and left a slightly bitter taste:
"She's going to spend an hour,
and for this old soldier my hip hurts like hell
and I'm ready to get out of here right now!"


But for this day my duty was to assist anyone coming in.
Kevin would lock the "In" gate
and if I could hurry the old biddy along ,
we might make the last half of happy hour at Smokey's.



I broke Post Attention.
My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step
and the pain went up a notch.
I must have made a real military sight;
middle-aged man with a small pot-gut and half a limp,
in Marine Full Dress Uniform,
which had lost its razor crease about 30 minutes
after I began the watch at the cemetery.



I stopped in front of her,
halfway up the walk.
She looked up at me with an old woman's squint.
"Ma'am may I assist you in any way?"



She took long enough to answer.
"Yes, son. Can you carry these flowers?
I seem to be moving a tad slow these days."



"My pleasure Ma'am."
Well, it wasn't too much of a lie.



She looked again.
"Marine, where were you stationed?"



" Vietnam , Ma'am.
Ground-pounder. '69 to '71."



She looked at me closer.
"Wounded in action, I see.
Well done, Marine.
I'll be as quick as I can."



I lied a little bigger
"No hurry, Ma'am."



She smiled, and winked at me.
"Son, I'm 85-years old
and I can tell a lie from a long way off.
Let's get this done.
Might be the last time I can do this.
My name's Joanne Wieserman,
and I've a few Marines I'd like to see one more time."



"Yes, Ma'am.
At your service."



She headed for the World War I section,
stopping at a stone.
She picked one of the bunches out of my arm
and laid it on top of the stone.
She murmured something I couldn't quite make out.
The name on the marble was
Donald S. Davidson, USMC, France 1918.



She turned away
and made a straight line for the World War II section,
stopping at one stone.
I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek.



She put a bunch on a stone;
the name was
Stephen X. Davidson, USMC, 1943.



She went up the row a ways
and laid another bunch on a stone,
Stanley J. Wieserman USMC , 1944.



She paused for a second,
"Two more, son, and we'll be done."
I almost didn't say anything, but, "Yes, Ma'am.
Take your time."
She looked confused.
"Where's the Vietnam section, son?
I seem to have lost my way."
I pointed with my chin. "That way, Ma'am."
"Oh!" she chuckled quietly.
"Son, me and old age ain't too friendly."



She headed down the walk I'd pointed at.
She stopped at a couple of stones
before she found the ones she wanted.
She placed a bunch on Larry Wieserman USMC, 1968,
and the last on Darrel Wieserman USMC, 1970.



She stood there
and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out.
"OK, son , I'm finished.
Get me back to my car and you can go home."
"Yes, Ma'am.
If I may ask,
were those your kinfolk ?"



She paused.
"Yes, Donald Davidson was my father;
Stephen was my uncle;
Stanley was my husband;
Larry and Darrel were our sons.
All killed in action,
all Marines."
She stopped,
whether she had finished,
or couldn't finish,
I don't know.
She made her way to her car,
slowly, and painfully.



I waited for a polite distance to come between us
and then double-timed it over to Kevin waiting by the car.
"Get to the "Out"-gate quick.
I have something I've got to do."



Kevin started to say something
but saw the look I gave him.
He broke the rules to get us there down the service road.
We beat her.
She hadn't made it around the rotunda yet.



"Kevin,
stand to attention next to the gate post.
Follow my lead."
I humped it across the drive to the other post.



When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges
and began the short straight traverse to the gate,
I called in my best gunny's voice:
"TehenHut! Present Haaaarms!"



I have to hand it to Kevin,
he never blinked an eye;
full dress attention
and a salute that would make his DI proud.
She drove through that gate
with two old worn-out soldiers giving her a send off she deserved,
for service rendered to her country,
and for knowing Duty, Honor and Sacrifice.



I am not sure,
but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.



Instead of "The End"....
just think of "Taps".




As a final thought on my part,
let me share a favorite prayer:



"Lord,
keep our servicemen and women safe,
whether they serve at home
or over seas.
Hold them in Your loving hands
and protect them as they protect us."



Let's all keep those currently serving
and those who have gone before,
in our thoughts.
They are the reason for the many freedoms we enjoy.


"In God We Trust"

Ron :)

That's great.

Damn near brought a tear to my eyes.

Thanks for sharing!

Steve
198th LIB
Nam 67-68

Great post, Ron. Did bring a tear.

When my father passed. When others passed. It's usually the Taps that gets me everytime. Guess it says The End better than anything.


...

Great post Ron,

Thanks, and yes, I did have a tear in my eyes.

Excellent story Ron. Have to go get a Kleenex.

Ron
 

damn, don,t do us that way,we done got old too.I,ll put my hanky up after while.Have to take little pill every night so don,t have bad dreams about stuff in vietnam.Ya,ll call your buddies tha you served with, here,s why--called buddy up in va., he was reluctant to talk to me for a while, told him who I was a time or two, finally he said I thought you was dead, we heard you was killed in the artillery attack---how long has it been now?Wish I had called long ago.Will-alabama

Will,

I have lost touch with the few buddies that I had left over from Korea and have tried finding any of them via the Internet but no luck. One used to live down by Los Angles and another in Louisiana and the other in Texas. We are all getting old and I don't know if they are even still around. I am sure they would bet on me not being around now if they are still alive. :(

Ron :)

Excellent post Ron, I take back all those things Warren said about you.

:LOL:

Thanks Tru,

He is still being obnoxious over the fact that I don't have a car. But I will soon be having a bowl of Turtle Soup. :LOL:

Ron :D

We both are carless for right now.

:D

:)

Yea, but you will have one long before I do. I just keep reminding myself of all the gas I am saving and all the good I am doing for the environment by not driving. :LOL:

Ron :eek:

Ron - can you hijack your own thread? No matter what you say about me, it is still a great thread. There are too many stupid pissing contest threads about politics on CC. I just avoid them. My father said never discuss your salary, politics or religion with your friends. Oh, by the way, my salary is $0 since I retired. **)

Obnoxious? Isn't that some newfangled power adder using laughing gas?:LOL:

Hey, just before I politely commented about Tru's carb and side pipe problems, he was about to put the Cobra in hibernation for the year. Hate to see a fine Cobra just sitting there being neglected. Maybe we should start a "Save the Cobra" organization, similar to ASPCA. If someone cannot fix their Cobra, we just take it, fix it, and give it a nice new home to some deserving soul. :)

Tru - hope your arm is feeling better.

:)

Warren,

I agree with you about to many stupid threads and all the complaints. And unfortunately I have been in some of them but no more. I have no salary, am not set on any political view, and keep my beliefs to myself as I don't think that is something to argue about. I feel every person should be able to believe as they please and not have me telling them they are wrong when I could be wrong. :p

I am going to be without a car for a year. Bill has his main shop just full of engines and rear ends as the racing season is winding down and all the drag racers and oval track guys are having new engines and rear ends built for the big push to the championship. Boy does he have some great engines in there that he has about ready to go to the dyno with. I told him to just work on my car when he had time and he has it in his big garage at his house as he didn't want it there where all the people could be messing with it.

Ron :)

Ron, I guess you'll just have to suffer and drive the 69 Cobra. :LOL: Does it have AC? That would be nice in your neck of the woods.

Got to clean my Cobra tomorrow. Supposed to be partly cloudy and 81°F. May have to take a ride to blow the dust off first. The weekend weather is supposed to be sunny with temps in the low 70's ... my kind of weather. Going to a Cobra Cookout on Sat and a car show on Sunday. Maybe I'll try to squeeze in a cruise night on Sat or Sunday evening.

Make sure you get that AC ducting fixed while the coupe is down for repairs.

Your original thread about the Marine on duty kinda puts things in perspective. Kinda makes all my *****es seem small and petty.

Time for supper.

:)

Warren,

The 69 Cobra has no air, just power assisted steering and it generates quite a bit of engine heat too. I doubt if the way my health seems to be going lately I will last long enough to drive the Coupe any more. Back to the doctor soon for more tests. Something in the last two wasn't quite the way he wanted it, but he wouldn't tell me what. Just that I had to really start watching my nerves and being out in the heat. I am trying to make arrangements to pay for the Coupe when he get finished if I am not here to do so.
As for the T in the air conditioning hose, that can be done on the drivers side, but not the passenger side as the hose is just six inches long. But only the driver counts anyway, right! :LOL:

Ron :D

Good post Ron. Thanks.

Ron, just sell some of the ancient Egyptian stuff you have from when you were helping the Pharaohs.

You spelled "cemetery" properly.

I have no use for Marines.

UT