i recently lost an uncle who was a marine during vietnam. he was a helicopter pilot and mechanic who upon returning to the U.S. began a career in avionics and worked for the same company building helicopters until his death this summer. i remember him as a gentle man who possessed an infectius smile, someone who truly lived a life without complaints. he raised a child and remained faithfull to the same woman even though she was not.he enjoyed friends all over the country and the few times we spent together i always left feeling closer to him. the ceremony was held a presbyterian church and part of the service several of his friends/co workers spoke about the way he carried himself and the type of crew chief he was. outside the church as 2 marines were folding the flag that was draped over his coffin, a sikorsky helicopter flew over him and hovered for about 2 minutes and pulled its landing gear up and down twice, the whole experience was quite overwhelming and i think i can just begin to understand the bond of those who serve and the respect given.
god bless you John