TAPS FOR ANOTHER VET THIS FIGHTING MAN WON'T BE LET DOWN.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
SUN VALLEY - One of their own died last week, and the guys over at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10040 spent Friday afternoon practicing folding the American flag to give to his only survivor, a niece NIECE, domestic relations: The daughter of a person's brother or sister. Amb. 514; 1 Jacob's Ch. R. 207. flying in from St. Louis next week for the funeral. His name was Ralph Burns, and he was one hell of a guy. At 82 and in failing health, he could barely walk or even stand anymore. But put an American flag in his hands on Veterans Day, and Ralph looked like John Wayne coming down the street. Any time a veteran died in the Valley, and his family wanted to send him off with a military color guard, you could count on Ralph and his buddies to show up in uniform. ``No vet should die without tribute and being honored,'' Ralph would say. No vet. So he and his color guard buddies - vets like John Graves and Bill Herrera, all pushing 80 now - would stand at attention and fire off a 21-gun salute at a grave site. They'd also march proudly down the street, carrying the American flag in every Veterans Day and Memorial Day parade to honor the men and women who gave their lives for this country. Now, it's Ralph's turn to be honored. And it starts with a couple of his buddies spending Friday afternoon practicing folding the flag that will drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. his coffin and be given to his only survivor. They met about 10 years ago at the semiannual Semiannual An event that occurs twice in a calendar year. Notes: A bond with semiannual coupons would issue payment once every six months. See also: Annual, Bond, Coupon Bond luncheon of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Battle of the Bulge, popular name in World War II for the German counterattack in the Ardennes, Dec., 1944–Jan., 1945. It is also known as the Battle of the Ardennes. On Dec. . Ralph was the group's chaplain CHAPLAIN. A clergyman appointed to say prayers and perform divine service. Each house of congress usually appoints it own chaplain. . ``Do you belong to any VFW See Video for Windows. post?'' John Graves wanted to know. ``Nope,'' Ralph said. ``Want to join mine?'' John asked. ``You have a color guard?'' Ralph shot back. ``Yep,'' John said. ``Then I'll join.'' And that's how it started. ``Ralph just loved the color guard - loved carrying the flag in a parade, and giving a fallen comrade a 21-gun salute,'' Graves said. ``He always felt that we had to look out for one another - from start to finish. We did during war, and we would right up to the end because there was a special bond, a camaraderie ca·ma·ra·der·ie n. Goodwill and lighthearted rapport between or among friends; comradeship. [French, from camarade, comrade, from Old French, roommate; see comrade. , all vets share.'' When the guys heard Ralph was in the hospital, they all prayed for him, said Bill Herrera, captain of the post's color guard. At their age, these World War II vets know the score. A lot of them aren't walking out of the hospital anymore. ``When I went over to see him at the hospital, I walked in and said, Ralph, what are you doing here?'' Herrera said. ``He said, 'Hey, Bill, it's nice to see you. It's lonely in here.' We sat talking for a while and I noticed this stack of papers on the table. ``It was his military transcripts, detailing all the battles he was in, and the medals he was awarded,'' Herrera said. ``I started reading it aloud, and damn if I didn't start to feel so proud of my buddy. He'd been on the front lines like most of us, knew the cold and fear of war. ``It's funny,'' Herrera said. ``All the years in meetings over at the post, we never talked about it. We were just too busy looking out for one another.'' The men said they weren't sure they'd be able to muster enough color guard members for a 21-gun salute for their buddy. ``You're supposed to have seven men, and we're down to four now,'' Graves said. ``It makes it hard when you can't get the young guys in to take over for us old-timers.'' You can count the active membership at his VFW post on both hands and one foot, he said. But they won't let Ralph down. ``Even if we don't have a firing, we'll be standing there in uniform next to his casket, honoring our friend,'' Herrera said. Folding the flag draping draping, n in massage, technique of securely covering and uncovering parts of the body and moving the client. draping covering the animal with sterile drapes for surgery leaving exposed only that part of the body that has been his coffin and giving it to his only survivor because no vet should die without tribute and being honored. No vet. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10040 members, from left, William Trow trow intr.v. trowed, trow·ing, trows 1. Archaic To think. 2. Obsolete To suppose. [Middle English trowen, from Old English , Bill Herrera and John Graves are determined to give their buddy a proper color guard at his burial. John Lazar/Staff Photographer (2 -- color) This is how Ralph Burns' friends will remember him, showing his patriotism Patriotism See also Chauvinism, Loyalty. America, Captain comic-strip character known as the “protector of the American way.” [Comics: Horn, 155–156] American elm traditional symbol of American patriotism. with his heart in his sleeve, as in this November photo. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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