Just another brick in the wall.

     On Saturday, 13OCT2012, I attended the funeral for Sgt. Donna Johnson of Raeford, a soldier in the National Guard who was recently killed in Afghanistan.  I attended as part of the Human Wall in an effort to keep the Westboro Baptist Church protesters from desecrating the service.  This was done pretty easily.  There were at least three thousand of us and about ten of them.  They rapidly got the idea that their health was in danger, since they had forgotten their usual defensive tactic--hiding behind a wall of children that they use as human shields.  One of the WBC crowd (according to hearsay) grabbed a flag from one of the Human Wall members and began stomping on it, which started a fight.  I was told that the police, who maintained a high degree of visibility and a constant presence just about everywhere during the event, arrested the WBC attacker.
     I got there about 0830 and left sometime after 1230.  For the first hour or so all I could hear from down the street was the sound of the well-meaning Human Wall crowd shouting at the WBC crowd.  I guess they forgot that it was about the family and their loss, not verbally abusing some idiots.
     Everything seemed to quiet down after the WBC crowd fled.  The funeral procession passed the corner I stood on with quiet dignity.  Sgt. Johnson's flag-draped casket was drawn behind a motorcycle.  That was the first time I have ever seen so many different motorcycle club colors together in one place without any friction between them.  They, at least, seemed to have the right idea.  Of course, it was easy to tell that most of them were veterans, so I wasn't surprised.
     I did not attend the service at the graveside, nor the service in the church.  I had begun to feel that the presence of so many individuals, no matter how well-meaning, was terribly intrusive to the family.  I spent most of my time by the Raeford Courthouse, trying to dodge chain-smokers.  It seemed as though I couldn't find anywhere to stand without being surrounded by at least three of them, puffing away as hard as they could.
     I am a reformed smoker, and I confess that there is no more rabid an anti-smoker than one who used to have the habit themselves.
     I got a speeding ticket on the way home, so I guess it is true, no good deed goes unpunished.  I hope that Sgt. Johnson's family, as well as the families of Sgt. Thomas Butler and Sgt. Jeremy Hardison, have had their grief eased at least a little by this large show of public support.  Your losses were not in vain, but helped to secure a better future for us all.
     Lastly, I don't know how many combat veterans might ever see this post, but there is one truth that we all share in knowing when we see one of our fallen warriors pass us by:
     There, but for the grace of God, go I.