| The Military Escort |  |
| The Skipper asked for a volunteer from his squadron of men
Solemnly he said, "I'll go, sir, I'll be with him".
As he arrived to get on the plane,
My eyes filled with tears as my heart filled with pain.
I felt the loss as a parent, for this fallen son;
He had hopes and dreams, but tragedy won.
He looked over the coffin with solemn care;
And assured the fallen sailor that someone was there.
He went down to check and make sure everything was right,
He examined the casket thoroughly both left and right.
I watched as the escort went to show his respect;
With a salute of his hand, he came back up on deck.
>From Virginia to California, such a long flight
The escort was dressed in his uniform of white.
The pilot of the plane came on the microphone,
"Thank you for bringing our service member home".
Each and every time the airplane landed;
The escort performed the duty he was handed.
To check on the coffin with solemn care;
And assure the fallen sailor that he was still there.
He draped the flag to show his respect;
With a salute of his hand, he came back up on deck.
When the casket was opened, no cover was in sight;
So the escort gave him his hat of white.
The escort took him home, his body to view;
He looked at his face and said "That won't do".
He asked the host to fix his hair and make over his face;
And then he made sure everything was in place.
The family came in with tears in their eyes;
He was touched by the pain caused by their son's demise.
The escort stood guard in front of the door;
To give the family a chance to be alone once more.
He went across the hall to visit a little one;
He prayed with the family for her life was undone.
From his appointed post he'll never regret;
This little life gone, he'd never forget.
The escort was there for not just one family, but two;
However the circumstances came into view.
Then before it was time for him to leave,
And after the family left to bereave;
He stood by the coffin with solemn care;
And assured the fallen sailor he had been there.
Before the sailor was lowered into the ground
A twenty-one gun salute was heard all around.
Beside the gravesite "Taps" would be played,
By a bugler in white, no other sound was made.
A few final words, one last good-bye;
It is so tragic this sailor had to die.
But in his final rest with no more of life's care;
The military escort stood beside him and assured he was there.
Reflections of life sometimes are so grim;
But for this escort's duty, it's a reflection of him.
No one really wants this duty of sorrow and pain;
But this military escort would RESPECTFULLY do it again. | In Memory of Third Class John Williams, VF-101 and in In honor of
the duty served by my husband, Lewis E. Pell.By Donna Pell
Copyright 2001
Listed July 10, 2007 |
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