Matthew Freeman was a believer in Christ, as this touching personal narrative of his memorial service discloses. Christ was honored in the songs at the warrior's funeral.
Americans, never forget: neither freedom nor security is either bought or preserved without bloodshed.
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4 comments:
Thanks for sharing this moving, and heart-warming story, Dan.
On a side note, I'm really glad to see that such a group as the Patriot Guard Riders exists, and that, in addition to their paying tribute to a fallen soldier, they also "ward off any who might dare come as war protesters".
I've always found it incredibly sad and in horribly poor taste when I've heard about protests being staged at military funerals, especially by the likes of Fred Phelps.
I wish I knew how to make a deep, painful groan in blog-talk, cause that's what just came out of me, along with the tears. It didn't help that ds is meeting with a recruiter for the Air Force Academy tonight!
It's really strange, the disconnect we seem to have with this war, despite the advanced technology we have available to us.
The WWII generation lived, ate, and breathed the war back home. Was it because of the immense sacrifices they were required to make on the home front (ration cards, women having to support families, most industry re-tooled to support the war effort, etc.).
In addition, very few families were untouched by the war. Nearly every family had a father or a son in the war. Every family had a stake in the news and the outcome. People were going to movie theaters to see month-old war news and reading the heavily censored (compared to today) newspaper.
Now, when information is at our fingertips instantly, people could care less. It's not part of the fabric of our daily lives.
Though each casualty is a tragic loss, the war protesters and whiners don't seem to realize how few casualties there really are. According to The Final Role Call database, there have been around 4500 casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Compare that to WWII, where most estimates put the casualty count at around half a MILLION!
We're a much different generation than our grandparents were.
Thank you Dan, for sharing this beautiful and moving story. I deeply appreciate that you took time to focus on this.
It is always difficult for me to read these stories and watch the videos; doing so brings to the surface all my own family's losses and leaves me in a pool of tears. But I make myself do it because it is so important that we never take for granted the work these precious individuals give themselves to.
Two of my cousins were killed in Vietnam within a week of each other, most certainly a surreal experience.
One of my brothers was killed in the line of duty as a law enforcement officer. One of the most amazing things that happened at that time was to see the support of the community as our procession wended its way through town from the church to the cemetery.
I was in disbelief at the numbers of people who lined the streets for miles. They stood solemnly, hands over hearts, showing a love and support I could not have imagined.
I encourage all; take advantage of any moment that presents itself in which you might thank a living veteran or show this kind of support to the family of one who has perished. It means the world to them all.
Ooh-rah. Semper Fi Marine.
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