I have made it a point to stay clear of politics and all of the other controversial topics when posting articles on this site. I don’t see a place for that type of discussion on here and I don’t think any of it will help us solve any problems we are facing in the funeral industry today.
That said, I want to share with you a story I was emailed by a fellow member. This story is about the graveside service of Navy solider Mikey Monsoor who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq, giving his life to save his fellow Seals.
I know there have been many amazing funeral services for American heroes who have died in the line of duty, but what struck me about this service, and you can also see from the memorial video below, is just how powerful the funeral service and graveside service were for those who attended and those who have since watched the video.
There is true power, emotion, and value in the tradition funeral service, and there are funeral professionals across the country providing services just as powerful as this everyday.
I hope this serves as a reminder that there is value in what you are doing everyday, people and lives are touched daily by the services provided from funeral directors.
During Mike Monsoor’s funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of two’s, with the coffin moving up the center. As Mike’s coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.
The slaps were audible from across the cemetery; by the time the coffin arrived grave side, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from all the Tridents pinned to it. This was a fitting send-off for a warrior hero.
