Imagine
that you have just learned that your son is dead. What would you do?
What could you do?
Some
people, like Colonel Mike Rudzinski, turn their thoughts to the suffering of
their son’s friends. He set aside his own
pain and instead consoled others by writing to them. In fact, my page
for the Chris Rudzinski mission is largely his father’s words. Clearly, Chris learned selfless service from
Mike.
It is
just a clear that Gunnar learned likewise from his parents. “Our pain is indescribable, just as our pride
is immeasurable. He belongs to all of us now and honor covers him like
his flag.”
Our
soldiers are our very best Americans.
That is no accident. They come
from the very best American families.
My Dear
Friends,
If you
have tried to contact me, and I have not responded, it is because we have been
kept very busy. We thank you so much for the offers of help.
On
Friday I traveled with my daughter-in-law Erin, in the company of an army
colonel, to Dover Air Force Base. We watched the dignified transfer of
our son Gunnar home from
Gunnar's
family has been wrapped in the arms of the U.S. Army, both figuratively and
literally. They are taking very good care of us. We must wait for
direction from the army before we can be 100% definite, but we are planning to
have a visitation at Gibbons-Elliston Funeral Home in
If you
are interested, I invite you to go to Gunnar Hotchkin's
Facebook page. I think his wife
We are
going through this as best we can, moment by moment. As I write this I am
watching over my grandson Ethan sleeping on my couch. He will get me
through this. We need and welcome your love and support-email messages
or cards will do just fine, and we welcome you who are able to pay tribute to
our fallen hero with us on Thursday and/or Friday.
Chris
& Randy Hotchkin
http://napervilledemocrats.org/blog/InHonorofArmyPFCGunnarHotchkin
See also THIS facebook
page.
Obit: Pfc.
Gunnar Randall Hotchkin, was killed in action June 16, 2010, in northern
Visitation Thursday, June 24, 2 to 8 p.m. at Gibbons Elliston Funeral Home, First
and Grant Streets, Hinsdale, IL 60521.
Friends will meet Friday, June 25, at Union Church
of
Three
days after Gunnar was killed, the
NATO ISAF reports: An Afghan-international security force
killed a Taliban sub-commander along with a number of insurgents at a compound
in Chahar Darah district,
Mullah Abdul
Razaq was responsible for moving suicide operatives throughout the eastern
part of Kunduz province and was the Taliban military commander in
The security force searched a compound east of Chahar Darrehchi, Chahar Darah
district, where they were fired upon by individuals armed with automatic
weapons and grenades. The combined force returned fire and secured the
compound.
During the search a civilian man came out of his home and told Afghan and
coalition forces that the Taliban use the road near the compound daily and that
they frequently stay in the mosque behind his home. The Taliban continue to use
mosques as safe havens and weapons storage sites, knowing that international
forces are not allowed to enter. A significant amount of automatic weapons,
magazines full of ammunition, grenades and an RPG launcher with rounds were
found on site. Women and children present were protected by the combined force
during the search.
"IED attacks continue to be the insurgents' main tactic against Afghan
National Security Forces and coalition elements," said Col. William
Maxwell of the ISAF Joint Command. "This puts Afghan civilian lives at
risk and yesterday's operation helped take those responsible for these acts out
of the Chahar Darah community," he added.
Interestingly,
ADN
Kronos International reports: Mullah Abdul Razaq, a resident of the Pakistani town of
After the fall of the Taliban in December 2001, Mullah Abdul Razaq was
arrested by the Americans. Insiders say he was given conditional immunity when
he agreed to play a role in talks between the CIA,
The talks were reportedly over a truce and a proposal for the Taliban's
participation in the political process in
… When Mullah Abdul Razaq returned to the Taliban's fold in 2005, he
convinced businesses in Chaman to support the Taliban financially in order to
spare their businesses from attacks when they transported goods through
After 2005, the stakes were higher as the Noorzai and Ackzai tribes became
involved in the construction of expensive hotels in
Mullah Abdul Razaq,
once again convinced the businessmen of Chaman to support the Taliban
financially so that their transport and hotel businesses would be spared from
attacks.
This
is the nature of counter-insurgency.
World War II was the last time we asserted our full weight. Ever since, we have pulled our punches for
valid strategic reasons. In the case of
And
then we spent eight years (so far) in an effort to make an
The first day:
We assembled at the armory adjacent to
Many of the reliables and a few new guys.
Brenda got us started.
We first formed a corridor through which the hearse
and family would pass when they arrived.
(I got that photo by handing-off my flag to
Carmen.)
Then we re-formed in the cavernous armory hanger.
The small jet passed under the arc of the airport
firefighter’s water cannon. It was
parked in the hanger. A ramp was removed
from the jet and used to unload an electric lift. The lift was used to unload the casket.
Soldiers moved the casket from the lift to the
hearse.
Then we mounted and staged in the street in front
of the armory.
The State Police would take us down I-55.
I was flying the 5 by 8 so I tried to use
slip-knots to keep it furled until we left the Interstate when I would release
it while riding. It didn’t work. The wind pulled it loose and I was lucky to
retrieve the dragging rope ends before they fouled.
Everything stopped except our procession.
Gunnar’s widow is
As we approached our destination, the firefighters
raised the salute that only they can do.
We dismounted at the funeral home and stood in
respectful silence as the hearse passed.
Then we pulled our flags from Eric’s new truck and took our positions at
the front door of the building.
From my place in line, I noticed these two across
the street from us.
The scouts have holders mounted on the street
lampposts. When it is useful, they post
their flags.
They were John and Jonathan, scout leader and Eagle
Scout prospect, father and son. It was a
father showing his son how to do the right thing. A son needs his father for that.
Gunnar’s oldest son is Ethan who is eight – the
same age as Kevin, my grandson.
Ethan and I skipped-out of Gunnar’s wake at 1400
for a motorcycle ride. He wants a blue
motorcycle – same as Kevin. He told me
about several boyfriends and a girlfriend named Sondra. Then he went back inside and I did some more
flag-holding.
Ethan and I took a second ride at 1600 and ended-up
at
Ethan is full of potential – he could be
anything. He will grow to be happy and
strong like his father. Part of the
price that Gunnar paid is that he will not see it happen.
All eight year-old boys think of their fathers as
heroes. In Ethan’s case, it is
true. I hope he knows it.
The next day:
The Korean War began when the North invaded the
South on a June 25th. In
Korean, “June Two Five” is pronounced U-KEE-O
and no mention of the year is necessary.
Everyone in
Traffic was lighter than I anticipated and I
arrived early. The Deputy Chief of
Police told me he wanted our bikes to stage in the school bus loading area,
near the church. So I was in place to
get this photo of the second biker to arrive.
The principal opened his school (and restrooms) to
us.
Donna provided the flags. She is the founder of welcomeyouhome.org
An American soldier had died on the other side of
the planet.
As the hearse passed our staging area we stood in
silence and saluted.
We all came for Gunnar. We are all on his side.
History records that
History records that the most powerful nation on Earth
fought its longest war in the mountains and villages of one of the most
impoverished and backward countries on Earth.
And now history can record that the youngest
PGRider attending Gunnar’s funeral was also named Gunnar.
Here, young Gunnar stands with his father as they
prepare for the funeral of another father.
So we formed another corridor, this time at the
entrance of a beautiful church.
The Mayor of
The Governor of
Also attending were U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale, state
Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, and U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin.
And once the guests were all inside, we waited.
When the guests were to come back outside, we
returned.
Including young Gunnar and father.
Mrs. Maureen Greene did not attend the service
either. Also like us, she brought a flag
to hold. She was part of the community
and simply wanted to show support for the brave soldier and gratitude for his
sacrifice. That is what she said when
NBC interviewed her.
She smiled as she reflected on the great service of
a fine soldier.
Then she (and channel 5’s Zoraida Sambolin) were
filled with pensive anticipation as the soldier was to be carried from the
church.
Bev
Horne of the Daily Herald set her focus on the flag.
(photo removed by request of Daily Herald)
Rob
Hart of the Sun-Times set his focus on the hearse.
Sarah
Minor of the Naperville-Reporter took a different angle.
There were several of us.
This time I was across the street with the
paparazzi to see what they could see.
The family had requested privacy, so I didn’t expect to see much.
We formed a corridor one last time and Gunnar the
soldier was placed in the hearse to the wail of bagpipes.
And then Governor Quinn escorted the family past
young Gunnar and on to their cars.
Then we led the hearse to the cemetery.
Cars in both directions stopped, as they had on the
Interstate the previous day.
And again, many firefighters lined our route.
As did more representatives of the community. They discovered the route, they found their
flags and they waited for us to pass.
Just because.
We marched in, past the soldiers.
We surrounded the gravesite with our colors and
held our places through the religious and military ceremonies.
And then we marched out.
These are a few of the soldiers who honored Gunnar.
This is the Command Sergeant Major.
And this is LTG Frank Helmick, Commander of XVIII
Airborne Corps, who delivered the folded flags to the family. The 3rd Infantry Division, the 10th
Mountain Division, the All Americans of the 82nd Airborne Division,
the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division and
During the Civil War, we could barely manage to
bury our fallen were they fell. Eighty
years later, World War II resulted in 200 thousand American warriors MIA/POW of which only 120 thousand
have returned home.
Today, a single Private soldier dies on the
battlefield and a Lieutenant General attends his funeral. How far we have come.
According to the newspaper: Helmick
said Hotchkin set himself apart from the average soldier, and he proudly wore
the maroon beret and wings that set a paratrooper's uniform apart from those of
other soldiers'. "Today, Gunnar has
a different set of wings," Helmick said.
But the last soldier to leave the cemetery was a
Staff Sergeant named Fabian Tumbaco. He
was in the plane that landed at the Midway armory. He traveled with Gunnar to the funeral home,
to the church and to the cemetery. The
service had ended and the guests had left, but the casket had not yet been
lowered into the vault. So Fabian
remained at graveside. He would stay
with Gunnar until Gunnar was at rest.
Because honoring our fallen is part of the promise
we make to them when they volunteer to face evil for us.
I
began this page with a letter written by Gunnar’s mother, and I close with one
written by his brother. It was written
to Dave & Brenda, shown above. He
writes, “so you therefore consider this to simply be your honor. But I
still feel I personally owe you guys something”.
Stamp
this one “Paid in Full”.
Hello,
This is Kurt, Gunnar's younger brother. I just wanted
to tell you how appreciative I am of you and the Patriot Guard Riders. I had
heard of your services, mostly on the news concerning those awful
protesters. But I'm sorry to say I was completely mistaken about what you
guys really do, which is so much more than protection. You protect the
dignity of what has been the most solemn of events throughout history: the
burial of a young soldier (how anyone could be dumb enough to desecrate such a
thing with protests is beyond me). But more than that, you add to
it. The tribute you guys paid to my brother was the greatest tribute to anyone
I have ever seen.
Seeing my brother's casket be flown in and loaded into a
hearse was the worst moment of my life, and may forever be that way. I
weep thinking about it. It may have been the only thing I'd remember of
that day, if it weren't for you guys. But I remember the ride
afterwards. I'll remember it with pride for the rest of my life.
You and your wife had described it to me in person, but it still took me
completely and utterly by surprise to see it. Your bikes flying the red,
white, and blue. The salutes of countless servicemen at every
intersection. The I-55, usually packed with the traffic of people going
abut their mundane business, made clear for my brother.
You guys stuck with my brother and my family every step of
the way with more patience and respect than anyone. I could not have
imagined it. I know you guys are mostly all veterans - and may I thank
you for that - so you therefore consider this to simply be your honor.
But I still feel I personally owe you guys something, which I promise to
pay. I am inspired by what you guys do. It has made a very certain
change in the way I see things.
Sincerely,
Kurt Hotchkin
From:
Boyd, William
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 10:49 AM
To: Russ, Don
Subject: Flag kissing.
Don,
I
first wanted to thank you for all that you do in chronicling the PGR missions
with your camera and your words. I was at the Christopher
Antonik wake Sunday night with you. I did not see the man kiss the
flag because I was facing you but I did see your reaction. I wanted to
share with you a similar experience that I had while standing the flag line at
Gunnar Hotchkin’s wake.
Tricia
and I were standing the flag line in silent thought with many other PGR members
at Gunners wake in
Thanks
again for all that you do.
See
you down the road,
Bill
Boyd
Three
photo albums: Visitation
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