It was over. Time to go home.

The News-Sun used a photo of Sandy from the visitation so they could have a front page photo the day of the funeral.

Some folks prefer “welcome-homes”. They like the excitement, commotion and general happiness of that type of mission. But welcome-homes were never the primary Patriot Guard mission.

I admit that I look forward to funeral missions. Perhaps that seems strange. I’m sure it would be different if I knew the deceased personally. But I suspect that most of the funeral reliables share my strange attraction. We really want to go.

Sandy really doesn’t. Her only satisfaction is that of duty accomplished. It is a sense of duty that has driven her to attended many KIA missions over several years. So when she learned that Joey lived only three blocks from her home, it was sure to be most difficult but she was most sure to be there.

That’s why I go and that’s why she goes. I’ll concede that her motives are the more pure.

As I was going home, I passed this monument. On other days such as this one, I knew why the flag was at half. For no special reason, I stopped this time.

“In memory…that freedom might prevail.”

Washington & O’Plaine. I had never stopped here before. The pavers were inscribed. I didn’t notice until I studied this next photo days later that a brick in the lower-right bears the Ride Captain’s family name.

The Sweetwood brothers were the ones that caught my eye.

So I found some names that I recognized.

Kevin and I sometime visit the Captain Mahaffee’s gravesite. Once there were other people there so we didn’t stop.

We carve their names into concrete pavers and granite grave markers for the same reason I take photos at funerals: So we don’t forget.

They were young and strong.

They took on the work that only they could do.

I had seen Sean’s gravesite earlier that very day.

It is very near Joey’s.

And like Joey’s, it shares a view of the flags which are at half today.

And I know why.

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