Tal Afar is a city located
in the extreme north of
“Also garrisoned at the
fortress were Turkmen members of the Daloodi tribe
who, following the withdrawal of the Ottoman Army,
became the first civilian occupants of the town build around the fortress. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire,
Tal Afar became part of
~~~
Keith Lloyd deployed to
Tal Afar last November. According to a
On Saturday, January 12th
Keith was killed by an IED in Tal Afar.
The Patriot Guard Riders will support his visitation on Monday and
funeral on Tuesday.
~~~
Posted after the
visitation, before the funeral:
My grandson and I made the
trip to the funeral home for the visitation on Monday. Martin Luther King Day gave him time off from
kindergarten and he was happy to “hold flags” again. I doubled nearly everything he wore: Socks, pants, jackets, gloves.
We traveled north. It was just beginning to snow in
Scott had attended the
same high school as our fallen hero, Keith.
(A few decades earlier, though.)
Scott would stand for Keith through the evening and then plow snow
through the night. Then with no sleep,
he planned to return for Keith’s funeral.
Our co-Rode Captain
greeted us in the parking lot and directed us to a lot across the street. As we parked in the designated location, I
saw that, as she had for the Lemke visitation less than a week ago, Mary had preceded
us. Kevin, Mary and I crossed the street
to join Scott.
Other members
arrived. Kontractor
arrived with the flags. He told us that
retired Master
Sergeant James Ehler had died and that he was the
uncle of southeast Wisconsin Ride Captain Denise Dietsche. Scott had us “Pledge ‘n’ Pray”. Then he put the rebar in the ground while
others put the flags on the rebar.
I saw that the funeral
home had their flag flying at full mast and went in to suggest that they lower
it to half-mast. At the door I
encountered three people. They turned
out to be Keith’s mother and two of his brothers. We had a brief discussion about whether
smoking would be allowed in Heaven. His
mom was sure that, at least, Keith would have the Captain Morgan rum of which
he was so fond.
Photos
taken just before the visitation began are here.
~~~
Posted after the funeral:
Single-digit temps. Plus the wind-chill effect. No matter.
The snow was no longer
falling and the day was bright. I
arrived early at the funeral home and went inside to check on Keith. As I came back outside a group of eight
people was going in. I stood at the edge
of the sidewalk and smiled. The first
person to pass by me turned and gestured back toward a tall man in the midst of
those following. “That’s the father.”
Keith’s father and I stood
on the sidewalk in front of the funeral home for a few seconds. He said he was glad we were there. I said we were glad that we were invited. Then his group moved into the building and I moved
back to the parking lot.
A few minutes later, Kontractor was standing in the foyer of the funeral home
with the mother, the father, a few other family members and a few other PGRiders. He spoke a
few words and then presented mother and father each with a PGR plaque. And then there were a few other expressions
made. I wanted to memorialize that
moment here, but in retrospect it seems too private for me to try to describe.
Keith had been
willing. Everyone knows that soldiering
is dangerous. The surprise attack on
September 11, 2001 killed more Americans that did the surprise attack on
Keith knew that some
things are worth fighting for so we marched in to show our support. “Support our Troops” is for some as insincere
as “Have a Nice Day”. The
peace-at-any-price crowd, once inspired by the War in
In 1942, George Orwell famously argued that English pacifists were objectively
pro-Fascist. Three years after the Nazis
raped
Our quadrennial
Presidential election is less than ten months away. As a result, we may confine our soldiers to
their bases for the four years following.
Then the debate can then turn to how much we must pay them if they are
just sitting-around in their bases.
But there will still be
evil in the world. There will be people
in the world who will try to do evil.
And they will do evil in many places around the world. Maybe only another 911 will have us all again
together singing “United We Stand”.
If you hate evil, be
good. If you hate violence, be
peaceful. But if you really hate evil and violence, join the
Army. Because the
No one loves peace more
than the soldier because it is he who must bear the weight of peace lost. Keith Lloyd did more to further the long-term
cause of world peace than Lord Halifax, Jane Fonda and Cindy Sheehan combined.
Three genuine peace
activists are pictured below standing near open doors at the rear of the
Sanctuary. They are listening to Pastor Nybroten speak of selfless service. The one in the middle holds Keith’s casket
flag.
Except for voting, the sailor
pictured below does not establish American foreign policy. Without him, however, American foreign policy
would be impotent. The rest of us can go
about our lives without giving much thought to the evil and the violent in the
world only because he has volunteered a few years of his life to service.
Or maybe his service will
demand that he volunteer the whole of his life, like Keith. Certainly that would not diminish the worth
of his service, nor the cause he serves.
How is it possible to think
otherwise?
You can see the truth in
the faces below. And behind these two
women were collages of Keith – photographs taken over many years.
Our National Anthem was
played on the church organ as Keith was carried from the church for his final
journey.
Back at the funeral home,
this is the artwork that hangs over their fireplace.
Photography from the day of the funeral, Tuesday.
back to ALL MISSIONS