While waiting for our flight to D.C. on Friday the 6th, I noted an Army man in dress colors seated nearby. He received special attention from a Southwest employee then moved to another seat. Soon the Southwest man came to him again but with a Southwest pilot and they talked. The military man then left with the Southwest employee. OK – something was up.
A few minutes later the PA announced that we would be delayed in boarding to wait for the loading of a fallen soldier being accompanied by an escort – the man I had earlier observed. I went to the window with a large number of other people who removed hats, placed hands on hearts, and stood silent as a box was loaded into the cargo hold of the plane (a 737-800) with the escort standing by at attention. It was moving.
When we arrived at Reagan National, the stewardess told us that we would be held on the plane until the body of the soldier was removed. As we approached our terminal gate, an airport fire engine turned on its water canon and shot water into the air falling on us. We had seats on the right side behind the wing so we could clearly observe the unloading.
A couple of soldiers went into the cargo area while the escort waited outside. Soon a hearse pulled up and around the corner marched 6 soldiers in two rows of three. Then the box emerged draped in an American flag and came down the conveyer ramp where the six soldiers picked it up and took it to the waiting hearse. Once the coffin was off the plane we were permitted to deboard but a large number did not, waiting as did we, until the hearse pulled away. Sobering.
On Monday we went to Arlington National Cemetery where they announced that 27 funerals were taking place that day (on two occasions we heard the reports of guns). Most likely one was for the soldier we transported from Omaha on Friday.
We took the tour tram and got off to stand at the grave of our 35th President, John F. Kennedy, gunned down on November 22, 1963 – I know where I was when I heard the news. In March of 1963, Kennedy had visited Arlington with a friend and remarked about its serenity and how he could stay there forever. His words were remembered when he died.
Beside the fallen President lies Jacqueline and two children who died in infancy (a daughter born and died 8/23/56 and a preemie son born 8/7/63 and died 8/9/63).
A quote on his memorial wall caught my attention:
With a good conscience our only sure reward
With history the final judge of our deeds
Let us go forth to lead the land we love – asking His blessing
And His help – but knowing that here on earth
God’s work must truly be our own.
(Inaugural Address – January 20, 1961)
[Thoughts I had: For the non-saved, a good conscience might be a sure reward but trampled to no value by their judgment to Hell and not the only reward for believers. Also, history is not the final judge, a judge yes, but not the final judge – Jesus is! And JFK mentioned asking God for blessings and help and he recognized God’s work and will should mark us as a country. Good!]
Around the corner from JFK lies Robert Kennedy (assassinated in ‘68) with a simple white cross and two quotes on a granite wall nearby that do not make mention of God.
We caught another tram and went to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier – there are three buried there in four graves – one each from WWI (in the crypt), World War II, and Korea. The Vietnam tomb occupant was identified by DNA and removed. Before going to the location of the tombs, we noted three markers for those killed in the space craft disasters and 75 yards away was the mast from the warship USS Maine that blew up in Havana Harbor in 1898 that took us into the Spanish-American War.
We observed the changing of the guard at 10:30 that day. The soldier on duty would walk to the end of the black runway, snap his heals and pivot to look out over the cemetery toward the Washington Monument. He would count to 30 (my idea – I counted out his pauses a number of times and 30 seemed to work) then he pivoted to face the other end of the mat, count to 30 then marched to the other end.
Soon a commander appeared followed by another guard. After inspection of the replacement, he was put into duty. Next four children came down the steps bearing a wreath with the guard who had just been replaced. They were taken with the wreath to the front of the tombs and placed the wreath on a stand. Then they exited and the normal guarding resumed – 24 hours a day!
Our friends were there a few years back when someone’s cell phone went off provoking a loud barking rebuke from the commander announcing the desecration of the event and the need to start over. That did not happen in our visit.
Just to the east of the cemetery is the Pentagon and just to the west is the Marine memorial showing the raising of the American flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima in 1945.
What a solemn area!
a PK Musing 
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