Pararescuemen: Honoring Fallen Warriors
(June 25, 2010) |
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| SAN ANTONIO (6/22/2010 - AFNS) -- More than 20
pararescuemen, active duty, retired and prior service,
donned their service dress uniforms, with boots and maroon
berets, and fell into formation. Local freedom riders
holding American flags lined the street of the funeral
procession. As their fallen comrade's remains arrived and
were retrieved by honor guard members, the formation saluted
him. |
Pararescueman line up to pay respects to their
fallen comrade, Tech. Sgt. Michael Flores, by
leaving behind the flashes from their berets and
rendering a final salute after his funeral
service. Sergeant Michael Flores was assigned to
the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air
Force Base, Ariz. and died June 9, 2010, in a
helicopter crash in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force
photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III |
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On a bright sunny afternoon in
San Antonio, the mood is far from light on this
day as pararescuemen from across the U.S. paid
their final respects to their fallen comrade,
Tech. Sgt. Michael Flores, in a funeral ceremony
at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery June 19
here.
There are only about 350 to 375 pararescuemen
currently in the Air Force, said Chief Master
Sgt. Lee Shaffer, the pararescue careerfield
manager.
"Once you're a pararescueman, always a
pararescueman," Chief Shaffer said of the
retired and prior pararescuemen who came out to
honor Sergeant Flores. "It's not uncommon for
prior (pararescuemen) to show up at these
events. We want them to wear the berets. We are
a brotherhood. " |
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The ceremony went on much like many other services do, but
once the official ceremony was over is when the pararescue
ritual began.
The pararescuemen fell out of formation and formed a line up
to the casket. One by one, they marched smartly to the
casket and saluted Sergeant Flores. Then, they took off
their berets and removed the flash, and placed it on
Sergeant Flores' casket. They put back on their beret and
saluted Sergeant Flores for the last time.
The flash is a device worn on the beret and is worn only by
pararescuemen who have completed the two years of training
it takes to become fully qualified. The flash comprises a
guardian angel wrapping its arms around the world, which
symbolizes the mission of pararescuemen. Underneath the
flash it reads "So others may live", the pararescue credo.
The tradition of slamming the flashes into the casket, so
they stick and stay with the member forever, began shortly
after Sept. 11, 2001, when Senior Airman Jason Cunningham, a
pararescuemen, was killed in the battle at Roberts Ridge in
Afghanistan, Chief Shaffer said.
"We've found, through the years, that some of the families
like that tribute that we pay," Chief Shaffer said. "When
one of our warriors falls we want to give as much back as we
possibly can to the servicemember who lost his life and the
family members. This beret, and the flash that's pinned on
it, is probably the single most important thing to a
pararescuemen. To us it represents all of our hard work, our
dedication and basically our heart and soul. We want our
fallen warrior to be forever buried with what's most
precious to us and what was most precious to him." |
By USAF SSgt. Mareshah Haynes
Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
Copyright 2010 |
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Reprinted from
Air Force News
Service
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