Saturday: I returned to the church. A few of us had gathered there. Then the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro members
arrived as a group.
One
thing I noticed is there were no bike flags.
In
But
even without flags flying, we make a powerful statement when we roll.
As we
waited for the briefing and the red, white & blue began to appear, two
eagles started circling the K-Mart parking lot.
Perhaps
the red, white & blue summoned them.
This
is what I know: The funeral for Lance
Corporal Curtis Swenson began with these two eagles circling overhead.
So we
pulled-out the tape to cover any patches that might compromise the
respectfulness of our display.
We
said prayer &
Pledge.
And
then we got down to business.
Mostly
male, mostly veterans, mostly bikers, mostly black leather. So this PGRider caught my eye.
It
turns out that she is exactly what we most essentially are. She didn’t come to socialize in the K-Mart
parking lot. She came to stand in the
flag line.
May
her stars stay blue.
I
traveled to
38
years ago, I bought a Norton.
Nice
to see they are still around.
If
you read the vests, you learn the story.
Navy
& Marine Corps Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy &
Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal.
And
that’s just the first row.
And
that’s just one of the people who came to honor Curtis.
This
guy faced the Iraqis for President Bush.
Then he did push-ups for President Clinton.
Then
he faced the Iraqis again for another President Bush.
Of
course, it’s not what you’ve sewn on your vest, it’s how you stand with your
flag.
In
states where the PGR supplies the flags, mission logistics are tremendously
complicated. In
she
did.
Governor
Pawlenty and his wife Mary were there. I
didn’t see them go in.
Flags
were flying at half-staff across the state today by his order.
The
7-state High Plains Regional Captain was there.
You
have to look for his red hat.
The
State Captain was there.
This
father & son were there.
(And
his leetle friend.)
United
States Senator Amy Klobuchar was there.
She
wasn’t shaking hands because I was taking pictures; I was taking pictures
because she was shaking hands.
I was
holding my flag at the end of a flagline.
Her car stopped in front of me and mine was the first she shook. There were two men standing at the car,
watching. After she had moved down our
line, out of earshot, I asked “What is her relationship to the family?”
He
took a moment to recognize my question and then said, “She is a Senator.”
“Hold
onto this.”
I
pushed my flagpole into his hand and stepped out of my position. The camera strap had been across the front of
my neck so the camera would hang out of sight along my back. I swung it around and positioned myself. You see, I recognized that he was staff and
wasn’t going anyplace as long as she was shaking hands. In any case, it is an honor to hold a
flag. I never looked back.
After
a few exposures, I returned. To his
credit, the staffer had stepped over the curb onto the grass and for two
minutes he was the best-dressed PGRider in the line. I thanked him and we each returned to our
regular duties.
It is
a big effort to go through our entire line, greeting each person
individually. The effort is greater when
carrying the burden of mourning. But
that is just what this family member did.
Later
the mother and father would also find the strength to make that most gracious
gesture, individually, for each of us.
KIA
funerals are different from other funerals.
They should be. We help to make
them different. Regardless of whether
you are watching from up close or from far away, this was something special.
Regardless
of the Commander-in-Chief, regardless of the war, regardless of the tactical
circumstances, KIA families must know that their sacrifice is appreciated, that
their sacrifice was worthy, that their sacrifice will always be remembered.
Then
the funeral service began and we returned to K-Mart to wait.
After
the service, the Marines wanted a private moment with Curtis. We closed ranks around the hearse and turned
our backs to it, and they had their moment.
We would then get ready for our 64 mile trip to the cemetery.
Friday:
Arrival at
Flagline portraits
Visitation at
Saturday:
Funeral at Bethel
Lutheran Church
Flagline portraits
Cemetery at
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