Kevin Oratowski was 23 when he died on
August 18th in
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
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
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