October 27, 2009

Mike Monsoor was awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor last week for giving his life in Iraq, as he jumped on and covered with his body, a live hand grenade that was accidentally dropped by a Navy Seal, saving the lives of a large group of Navy Seals that was passing by. During Mike Monsoor's funeral at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California, the six pallbearers removed the rosewood casket from the hearse and Lined up on each side. His family members, friends, fellow sailors, and well-wishers formed a column that continued from the hearse, all the way to the grave site. Unknown to the group was that every Navy Seal who Mike Monsoor had saved through his selfless action (45 in total) was scattered throughout the column of mourners.

As the pallbearers bore Mike's casket to the burial site and each time it passed one of these Navy Seals, he would remove his Gold Trident Seals pin from his uniform and slap it down hard on the casket causing the pin to embed itself into the top of the casket. The the Seal would back away and smartly salute.

For those not familiar with Seals tradition, the pin is awarded after a basic three-week program followed by an even more arduous period of 15 weeks designed that a select few have the courage, stamina, and will to endure. These men are, arguably, among the best fighting men this nation has to offer. The graduation ceremony includes a ritual that involves "pinning" -- slapping the pin onto the recipient's chest through the blouse into the skin. While painful, it is symbolic of the pain they endured to become a Seal and endured with equanimity just as the pin is worn with pride during their service.

It was said that you could hear each of the 45 slaps from across the cemetery and, by the time the coffin reached the grave site, it appeared as though it had a golden inlay across the top.

God bless this hero and keep him safe during his eternal rest. And God keep our fighting men and women safe from harm.



Meanshile, while the POSOTUS works on his short game, October has become the deadliest month in the history of "the right war".

..dither on, dummkopf.

2 comments:

  1. Stories like these break my heart and it galls me that these men are risking their lives on a mission that Big Wee Wee doesn't even believe in.

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