“Now this hallowed ground receives a new generation of heroes — men and women who gave their lives in places such as Kabul and Kandahar, Baghdad and Ramadi,” he said. “Like those who came before them, they did not want war, but they answered the call when it came. They believed in something larger than themselves. They fought for our country, and our country unites to mourn them as one.”

-- President George W. Bush
Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Day 2007

Observance

One does not "celebrate" Memorial Day. Rather, one observes the day and keeps in heart and mind those who paid the ultimate price for the freedom that we enjoy in the United States. Memorial Day will always hold a more particular meaning for me given my experience of the last few years. I've carried the bodies of young men on their first steps back home. I have buried airmen lost in the current war here at Arlington. All veterans of our many wars to secure our freedom will tell you one thing, freedom does not come on the cheap -- there is always a price to pay to defend our nation against evil and tyranny. I was especially reminded of this as I have had the opportunity to see a couple of times at various events these past weeks, the family of one of those airmen I buried in the past few years. Their young children have grown, but they are still very much young children.

As I head for my next duty station, I will treasure the opportunity to have participated in "flags in" while here in the D.C. area. These past years I've served at Arlington, the chaplain team has gathered and placed the flags on chaplain's hill, a place reserved for military chaplains here at Arlington.

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

- Kelly Strong

Laying a Hero to Rest

Yesterday I had the distinct privilege of escorting the Chief of Chaplain for the Air National Guard and participating in the funeral service for Major General David Baker.

As a Captain and pilot he was shot down during the war in Vietnam over Cambodia and was held with 7 fellow Americans as a POW. It was not an easy time for him. I had the honor to meet several of his fellow POW's in that camp, as they were here for the funeral. After his release, he would later become an F-15E driver and instructor and would participate in the bombing runs of the Iraqi forces as they attempted to regroup in Southern Iraq following their rout from Kuwain during Desert Storm.

You can read more about him in this news story about the funeral here.

I encourage you to view the photo album here of this incredible Air Force Airman and especially read the captions.

Arlington Ladies 60th Celebration

Tuesday saw the culmination of several days of hard work on the part of many, including my wife, to celebrate 60 years of service by a group of Air Force spouses known as the Arlington Ladies. These ladies are present for military honors funerals at Arlington to represent the USAF Chief of Staff.

The day itself included mini concerts by various groups of the USAF band including Max Impact, Airmen of Note, and the Strolling Strings. Then it was on to the USAF Honor Guard for demonstrations from the drill team, the firing party, and a chance to meet with the various elements that work together to conduct a funeral including the Bearer teams and Color Guard. I went along for the tours as I took over the coordination of the event in its last week to tie up the various loose ends and my main job that day was to make sure everything was coming off the way it was supposed to when it was supposed to.

The picture to the right shows the Air Force drill team formed up and about ready to kick off their spinning routines. I was talking to one of the Officers in the Honor Guard and asked him if it was as dangerous as it looks and he said yes, the make frequent trips to the ER to have lacerations sown up and that most of these young men carry scars on them from the bayonets. But this day, they didn't miss a lick.

Then it was back to the Chapel center for the luncheon festivities. My wife oversaw the orchestration of the meal for over 150 people with the Cinco De Mayo theme. I can tell you when we went shopping over the weekend we left the commissary with four carts of full of food - and she was just preparing the mains. We had incredible volunteers from Honor Guard, Band, and command element of the Operations Group that provided the sides and desserts. Debbie spent all day Monday cooking with some Honor Guard volunteers who together formed the kitchen crew. Their picture is to the right.

I took a selection of pictures I had taken, that have been provided to me by friends, and some found off the internet and created a video tribute to a song "Arlington Ladies" that was provided to us through one of the ladies. I also had the privilege of narrating the day's events.

During the Commander's comments at the end of the luncheon he had her come out and she was coined for "excellence" by the Commander and presented with a card of appreciation and a flowering plant. This was a special day for us as my wife truly enjoys opportunities to be part of the team and the ladies we honored are truly a special bunch.