According to mLive.com:
Thomas Lee said he spoke Nov. 15 with his son, who told him he believed
the
"He said, 'Dad, I'm making a difference,'" Thomas Lee told The
Grand Rapids Press.
Jason Lee entered the military in May 2004 intending to join an airborne
unit, but transferred to the infantry after he was injured, his father said.
"I said, 'I don't have a problem with you joining the
military," Thomas Lee said. "But why the airborne,
the infantry? He said: 'I am
big. I am strong. It's my calling, Dad. If it's not me, who else is it going to
be?'"
Five days after Thanksgiving,
a squad of soldiers would drive from
This is some of what
happened:
Kevin was interested to
learn of this young gentleman wearing two mission pins.
That’s his sister
scurrying to get out of the frame.
We stood for the
visitation on a Tuesday evening.
The next morning, four of
us arrived on bikes.
Most of us were waiting at
the church, but these four bikes would lead the procession from the funeral
home to the church.
It was cold. That is why I was not on a bike and it is
also why I was especially glad to see those four leading the hearse.
I took that picture of the
four departing bikes, jumped into my truck and took the last position in the
procession. Last, not counting four cop
cars with lights flashing as they followed my Ford slowly though the
street. This is what O.J. saw in his
mirror:
Earlier, I had looked
around town. I took this picture of a
sign in front of the schools that reads:
Hometwon Hero
Army Cpl.
Jason
Lee
I took a picture in the
same spot as I was moving with the procession.
This was the beginning of
a line of students that I later measured to be a full half-mile long. Fruitport students,
shoulder-to-shoulder for a half-mile, most of them with flags or signs, makes
a great impression. I hope they will
read this and know that they did a wonderful thing for the family that cold
Wednesday morning.
The best sign read, “Jason
Thomas Lee we honor you for the supreme sacrifice” and had young mothers
standing under it.
But the mother who gets
the most credit from me is this one.
The young soldier held his
fingers to his eyebrow. The mother held
her hand over her heart. I don’t know
which one I admire more: The son who
volunteered, though he may not fully appreciate what he has gotten into; or the
woman looking straight into my camera who may know all to well what he will
face, while still she supports his decision.
At the church, we would
stand as they carried Jason inside and we would stand as the other mourners
filed in. Then we would wait for the
service run in the lunchroom of the associated school. And then we would form a corridor for the
casket and all the witnesses to pass as they reformed outside. There was a rifle salute, Taps and the
folding of the flag. Then the flag was
presented and Jason was transported away.
The students had long
since returned to class. The people
along the procession route had gotten in from the cold. And now the rest of us left the church. The funeral for Jason was over and he would
soon be ashes, but this is not his end.
There were hundreds of students standing along that street. The procession first passed the 13 year-olds
as they were standing in order by age.
It was a half-mile before we passed the 5 year-olds. They will remember the four motorcycles and
the long black hearse for the rest of their lives.
Randy Stevens is
remembered. He was killed in
Kenneth Welch is remembered. He was killed in
And we will remember
Jason, too.
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