Kevin Oratowski was 23 when he died on August 18th in Afghanistan.  He had enlisted with the Marines 26 months earlier.  His remains were soon to be landed at DuPage Airport.

 

 

Usually our warriors return through O’Hare.  Door 3 is where our guys return if the worst has happened.

 

Glen and Matt with a Gunny at Door 3.

 

 

This is the DuPage County Board member from District 6.  He has kept in shape and still wears his uniforms well.

 

 

Dekalb Fire representatives stood nearby Door 3.

 

 

We lined the walk outside Door 3.

 

 

The family arrived.  They wanted to be alone with Kevin when he first appeared and asked us to wait outside.  We moved to the shadow of the hanger so they would not see us waiting.

 

I went to the chain-link fence at the corner of the hanger and saw the firemen standing as Kevin’s jet rolled in.  And then I joined the others who remained in the shadows.

 

 

When it was time we returned to the walk.  The Marine pallbearers were the first to pass.

 

 

The family followed the Marines out of Door 3 and on to their cars.  Then the hearse with Kevin inside.

 

We mounted and traveled with Kevin and his extended family to a Wheaton funeral home.

 

Then the Sergeant Major, who had been with us through the Vazquez Mission, addressed us as he had before.

 

 

We all knew we were done for the day and that we would soon leave.

 

But no one was in a hurry to go.

 

So we listened.  The SgtMaj represents the Marine Corps and by extension the great cause that had taken Kevin’s life.  We demonstrated respect for Kevin by giving our fullest attention to the SgtMaj.

 

 

When he finished talking to us as a group, he started greeting us individually.

 

 

The SgtMaj calls the LtCol “the boss”.  He was the boss for Vazquez and he would be the boss for Oratowski.

 

 

The Representative from District 6, SgtMaj, LtCol, Matt and a West Chicago Police Sergeant.

 

 

And then we were done for the day.

 

 

Two days later we stood for Kevin’s visitation at another funeral home.

 

The Representative from DuPage District 6 stood in our line nearest the door.

 

 

This day, we stood in front of a funeral home.

 

 

Tomorrow we stand in front of a church, and in a cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on to Kevin’s funeral

 

back to the Oratowski Mission

 

back to ALL MISSIONS