This isn't a political commentary at all, just an observation of what one small town did for one soldier. Who also happened to be a sniper.
I just got home from supporting the family and funeral goers who attended SSG Shannon Smith’s funeral. This young man was killed in action by an RPG in Iraq in early September. His funeral was today in Sunbury, Ohio. Word had gotten out that the funeral was to be picketed by crazy’s carrying signs that read “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and other filth along those lines.
The people of Central Ohio responded to these out of town nut jobs by coming out to support the family and friends if SSG Shannon Smith. It was an extraordinary experience and one I will treasure for the rest of my life. The community decided to have people stand along the route of the funeral procession with American flags to show our support. My youngest kids, my wife and myself were going to stand along the route at my church which is along the way. To get there we had to drive along the way that the funeral procession would be on a few minutes later.
I was astounded at the turn out. There were easily hundreds of people waiting to honor this soldier and his family. The electric company AEP had placed bucket trucks on either side of the road and extended the booms so they created an arch over the street and hung American flags and banners from them, the fire department had their trucks out covered with flags, there was a boom truck with no markings on it extended with flags hanging from it and others. There is a factory along the way that manufactures parts for Honda, all the workers were out front in support, do you know what it costs to shut a factory down? Men, women and children of all ages, most with flags some with home made sings, waiting for the funeral procession.
When the procession started the police blocked the road going west and escorted, there was also an escort of the Patriot Guard Riders and then the hearse and the limousine with his family. No one made a sound, I’ve never experienced that many people being that quiet. Even the little children that were there were quiet. The funeral procession went on and on, I didn’t count the cars but it went on for 9 minutes, it might not sound like a long time but consider how many cars would be in a solid line that took 9 minutes to go by at 35 MPH, which seems about how fast they were going. Overall there may have been 1,000 people between the funeral and those standing in respect.
It was an experience I’ll never leave behind. I’m kind of a crusty old SOB, not much touches my heart other than my wife, kids and God. Today my heart was touched.
I just got home from supporting the family and funeral goers who attended SSG Shannon Smith’s funeral. This young man was killed in action by an RPG in Iraq in early September. His funeral was today in Sunbury, Ohio. Word had gotten out that the funeral was to be picketed by crazy’s carrying signs that read “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and other filth along those lines.
The people of Central Ohio responded to these out of town nut jobs by coming out to support the family and friends if SSG Shannon Smith. It was an extraordinary experience and one I will treasure for the rest of my life. The community decided to have people stand along the route of the funeral procession with American flags to show our support. My youngest kids, my wife and myself were going to stand along the route at my church which is along the way. To get there we had to drive along the way that the funeral procession would be on a few minutes later.
I was astounded at the turn out. There were easily hundreds of people waiting to honor this soldier and his family. The electric company AEP had placed bucket trucks on either side of the road and extended the booms so they created an arch over the street and hung American flags and banners from them, the fire department had their trucks out covered with flags, there was a boom truck with no markings on it extended with flags hanging from it and others. There is a factory along the way that manufactures parts for Honda, all the workers were out front in support, do you know what it costs to shut a factory down? Men, women and children of all ages, most with flags some with home made sings, waiting for the funeral procession.
When the procession started the police blocked the road going west and escorted, there was also an escort of the Patriot Guard Riders and then the hearse and the limousine with his family. No one made a sound, I’ve never experienced that many people being that quiet. Even the little children that were there were quiet. The funeral procession went on and on, I didn’t count the cars but it went on for 9 minutes, it might not sound like a long time but consider how many cars would be in a solid line that took 9 minutes to go by at 35 MPH, which seems about how fast they were going. Overall there may have been 1,000 people between the funeral and those standing in respect.
It was an experience I’ll never leave behind. I’m kind of a crusty old SOB, not much touches my heart other than my wife, kids and God. Today my heart was touched.
