I took a position in the cemetery and saw that the trumpeter had too, the weight of his responsibility pressing on him.

Parked firetrucks set the perimeter.  The three flags were now held. 

And then the Wisconsin State Captain marched the Patriot Guard Riders from their place outside the chruch to their place in the cemetery. 

Since 1983, alter boys can be girls.

These four descended to the gravesite and found their palces. 

Then the pipes and a firetruck. 

And firemen,

followed by hearse, family and congregation. 

My place in the cemetery was next to Nick Lombardi, another Catholic soldier.

Nick fought in the Great War and was born thirty years after the Civil War. 

Balloons were distributed and, on command, released, 

and ascended. 

I left.  I was behind the crowd so I was ahead of the crowd.

In Benton I saw a modest home with an American flag and a "support the troops" ribbon.  The car had a purple heart license plate.  The lawn had a "Be Aware! Motorcycles are everywhere!" sign and a "We support Governor Walker" sign. 

Two doors west was a grand home -- no flag -- and a "Recall Walker" sign. 

Another 13 miles east and I stopped at the Roelli Cheese Haus for some Dunbarton Blue.

A plaque memorializing another great soldier was positioned near the cash register. 

Folks in the city have interests.  Folks in the country have values.

This farm country produces good soldiers. 

I passed this guy at 42.601636,-89.846556 where he was fishing.  He was leaning against the bank with his pole out over the water.  It was Rockwellesque.

So I turned back and asked if I could take his picture.  I didn't say why; hence his defiant posture.  That's all right. 

In this country we each can live as we please.  Some of us choose to serve as instruments of foreign policy, a calling that can result in death far from home.  Most of us choose simply to be happy.  Whatever we choose, the choice is ours.

We take that for granted.  Most of us don't realize that that is not the rule around the world.  Most of us do not know what it is like to live without freedom.  And that is why most of us do not appreciate what freedom is.  And that is why GWB sounded so corny to many of us on September 20, 2001: 

Americans are asking "Why do they hate us?''

They hate what they see right here in this chamber: a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.

They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa.

These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against us because we stand in their way.

We're not deceived by their pretenses to piety.

We have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

But it didn't sound corny to Jesse.  Jesse understood.  That is why he devoted all his adult life to the service of our freedom.  One day Jesse Jr. and Joanna will understand too.

on to the Don Rielly photos

back to the Grindey Mission