(no subject)
This weekend hasn't been too bad, though I'm not getting much of a break from work. Though I'm not sure what possessed me to do so, I volunteered to cover the funeral of an Alpena native, Army Sgt. that died a week ago in Iraq.
The funeral was yesterday. The family didn't want any media inside the church for the funeral service which is totally understandable. I had to wait until the processional came out and then I followed them to the cemetery. It was amazing and awesome to see how many people lined the streets to pay tribute and respect to this fallen soldier as the procession passed by. A lot of them held up American flags and I observed one woman holding a sign that said "thank you."
Of course as with any other funeral, the interment was very sobering. The soldier received full military honors from other Army personnel. I was so nervous to cover it because I didn't want to get yelled at by someone in their grief for being there. I prayed about it and thankfully that wasn't the case. I had a few people decline when I asked them to describe the soldier, but they declined politely. I was able to talk to a few family friends and a soldier who served with the deceased.
I know two people in the Army, one is in Kuwait the last I heard of him and the other is in Georgia currently. While I pray for their safety and such, it never really hit home with me until yesterday ,how much of a sacrifice these people give to serve their country. This man I never knew and never will know gave his life for freedoms I take for granted every day. My heart goes out to the family and they have been in my prayers.
After the funeral, Len arrived in Alpena and visited me. I made us spaghetti, we played some video games and went for a walk before catching a movie. We saw the new Robin Williams movie "License to Wed." It wasn't too bad and was pretty funny. Afterwards we ate got a bite to eat and I took him back to the hotel.
Len accompanied me to church this morning and I was delighted to introduce him to my college and career friends. A couple of them said "I've heard a lot about you." I guess I didn't realize how much I talk about Len, but oh well. Len left my house about 1:30 p.m. to go to Houghton Lake until Tuesday.
Well I have to grab a bite to eat and head to work to cover the last of the Brown Trout Festival stuff. Laters!
The funeral was yesterday. The family didn't want any media inside the church for the funeral service which is totally understandable. I had to wait until the processional came out and then I followed them to the cemetery. It was amazing and awesome to see how many people lined the streets to pay tribute and respect to this fallen soldier as the procession passed by. A lot of them held up American flags and I observed one woman holding a sign that said "thank you."
Of course as with any other funeral, the interment was very sobering. The soldier received full military honors from other Army personnel. I was so nervous to cover it because I didn't want to get yelled at by someone in their grief for being there. I prayed about it and thankfully that wasn't the case. I had a few people decline when I asked them to describe the soldier, but they declined politely. I was able to talk to a few family friends and a soldier who served with the deceased.
I know two people in the Army, one is in Kuwait the last I heard of him and the other is in Georgia currently. While I pray for their safety and such, it never really hit home with me until yesterday ,how much of a sacrifice these people give to serve their country. This man I never knew and never will know gave his life for freedoms I take for granted every day. My heart goes out to the family and they have been in my prayers.
After the funeral, Len arrived in Alpena and visited me. I made us spaghetti, we played some video games and went for a walk before catching a movie. We saw the new Robin Williams movie "License to Wed." It wasn't too bad and was pretty funny. Afterwards we ate got a bite to eat and I took him back to the hotel.
Len accompanied me to church this morning and I was delighted to introduce him to my college and career friends. A couple of them said "I've heard a lot about you." I guess I didn't realize how much I talk about Len, but oh well. Len left my house about 1:30 p.m. to go to Houghton Lake until Tuesday.
Well I have to grab a bite to eat and head to work to cover the last of the Brown Trout Festival stuff. Laters!