Friday, January 18, 2008

Do "real men" cry?

PREFATORY UPDATE: it looks as if the site referenced below may have shut down direct access to the pictures. In case they are not showing on your browser, simply view the whole gallery starting here. The ones I linked to were images 18 and 16.

If one can look at this picture and not at least tear up — it isn't my idea of masculinity.


Here's the caption:
The night before the burial of her husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of "Cat," and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it," she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted."
A man who can read that dry-eyed and unmoved.... Well, not the sort of man I want to be.

UPDATE: Maritus Imperfectus pointed me to another:


View the whole gallery of very moving photos in sequence, starting here, thank God for your freedom and the warriors who purchased and protect it, and pray for our troops.

7 comments:

Jay said...

It's hard for me to understand that level of grief, never having lost someone so close to me as surely her husband was to her. The story is touching and profoundly human. I am not crying, but I am certainly not unmoved.

Aric said...

What a moving tribute to the love between a husband and a wife. You forgot to warn the readers that she was also carrying their child.

Add this picture to the mix and no true man could remain unmoved.

Kim said...

Credit must be given to the photographers of those pictures. It is a gift to take a picture that conveys the emotion of the moment.

The picture of his father was really moving.

LeeC said...

I've seen this before, but I'm still blubbering like a baby. I'm glad my co-worker isn't in yet.


Lord come soon, this place is broken and I'm ready to be home.

Unknown said...

Moving, and if I wasn't working right now, I would be balling my eyes out. Thank you for sharing this.

Ricky Rickard, Jr.

Kristine said...

Thanks for sharing these

beachbirdie said...

I am sobbing. That is not always a bad thing.

My family has seen numerous tragedies; among them two dear cousins (Marines) killed in action in Vietnam, one of my brothers killed in the line of duty as a law enforcement officer. When I see pictures like these, I feel the pain all over again and grieve for the families whose hearts have been freshly wounded.

Thank you for honoring our warriors. My son is one of them. I am thankful the Lord allowed him to go safely through his time "on the front" in Iraq but he will forever carry the scars of war.

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him'." Lamentations 3:21-24