WEBVTT 00:00:04.750 --> 00:00:08.550 All across America and around the world, this 00:00:08.550 --> 00:00:15.589 is Veterans Radio. This is Veterans Radio. And 00:00:15.589 --> 00:00:19.649 now, your host for today's program, Dale Throneberry. 00:00:22.410 --> 00:00:25.690 Welcome, welcome to Veterans Radio. This is our 00:00:25.690 --> 00:00:30.620 special. Memorial Day Celebration 2025. We've 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:33.259 got two stories for you today. We've got Joe 00:00:33.259 --> 00:00:36.539 Galloway from 2020, and we're going to be talking 00:00:36.539 --> 00:00:40.719 to Gary Lilly from 2008. He talks all about Arlington. 00:00:41.299 --> 00:00:43.659 So we're not going to run any ads or anything 00:00:43.659 --> 00:00:45.939 during today's program. We really want you to 00:00:45.939 --> 00:00:49.109 just sit back and enjoy. Think about what Memorial 00:00:49.109 --> 00:00:52.049 Day really means to you. But we do have to thank 00:00:52.049 --> 00:00:54.329 our sponsors real quickly. So that's Legal Help 00:00:54.329 --> 00:00:57.009 for Veterans, the National Veterans Business 00:00:57.009 --> 00:01:00.729 Development Council, PuroClean, Charles S. Kettles 00:01:00.729 --> 00:01:04.450 VA Medical Center, American Legion Post 46, and 00:01:04.450 --> 00:01:07.290 the Charles S. Kettles Chapter 310 of the Vietnam 00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:09.829 Veterans of America. So without further ado, 00:01:10.090 --> 00:01:12.549 we're gonna get straight into our program. Here 00:01:12.549 --> 00:01:14.930 is Joe Galloway. We are back here on Veterans 00:01:14.930 --> 00:01:17.349 Radio today. It is Memorial Day weekend and I 00:01:17.349 --> 00:01:19.129 can't think of a better guest to have on our 00:01:19.129 --> 00:01:22.489 program than Joe Galloway and about his new book, 00:01:22.829 --> 00:01:24.650 They Were Soldiers that he co -wrote with Marvin 00:01:24.650 --> 00:01:28.209 Wolf. So Joe, welcome to Veterans Radio. Nice 00:01:28.209 --> 00:01:31.069 to be back again. It's nice to be anywhere, isn't 00:01:31.069 --> 00:01:34.769 it sometimes? It is that. Well, I wanted to. 00:01:35.549 --> 00:01:38.310 have you on the program when I saw this book? 00:01:38.629 --> 00:01:41.109 And I guess the idea is, where did you come up 00:01:41.109 --> 00:01:43.750 with the idea to talk about the sacrifices and 00:01:43.750 --> 00:01:48.430 contributions of Vietnam veterans? Well, Marv 00:01:48.430 --> 00:01:52.370 Wolf and I have been friends for 55 years. I 00:01:52.370 --> 00:01:56.230 first met him. He was a spec four photographer 00:01:56.230 --> 00:02:00.250 in the First Cav Division Public Affairs Office. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:05.959 in An Que in 1965, and we've been friends ever 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:09.360 since. And he moved to North Carolina a couple 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:13.300 of years ago. He lives about two hours drive 00:02:13.300 --> 00:02:18.020 from me, and we got our heads together. And it's 00:02:18.020 --> 00:02:20.719 something both of us had been thinking about, 00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:26.439 and that is that so many Vietnam veterans came 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:33.250 home to no welcome, no respect. The media the 00:02:33.250 --> 00:02:38.710 movies. Portrayed vietnam veterans as losers 00:02:38.710 --> 00:02:43.430 and lieutenant galleys. And a lot of bull like 00:02:43.430 --> 00:02:49.069 that and and it just wrong they're not that not 00:02:49.069 --> 00:02:53.990 who i saw in four tours in vietnam from beginning 00:02:53.990 --> 00:02:59.090 of that war to the end of it and we wanted to 00:02:59.090 --> 00:03:04.680 focus. On forty eight vietnam veterans who and 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:07.719 not and not so much about the war they fought 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:11.319 but about the lives that they have lived and 00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:15.159 the good that they have done for their communities 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:20.680 and our country since that war. They came home 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.099 and did good stuff and there are some famous 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:27.000 people and there are some people you never heard 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.330 of but should have. But they are all successful 00:03:31.330 --> 00:03:37.009 and they're all giving individuals and there 00:03:37.009 --> 00:03:41.069 ain't a loser among them. No, not at all. I was 00:03:41.069 --> 00:03:44.590 I was very excited when I first got the book. 00:03:44.590 --> 00:03:47.169 So I was able to to go through this and there 00:03:47.169 --> 00:03:50.830 are just. Just amazing stories. You do mention 00:03:50.830 --> 00:03:53.150 in most of them a little bit about their experiences 00:03:53.150 --> 00:03:56.650 in Vietnam and some of them about their trials 00:03:56.650 --> 00:03:59.509 and tribulations of when they got home. But then 00:03:59.509 --> 00:04:01.870 the last half of almost all of the stories is 00:04:01.870 --> 00:04:04.490 about their successes. There are so many talented 00:04:04.490 --> 00:04:06.710 people in here and I know that you had a couple 00:04:06.710 --> 00:04:08.810 that you wanted to mention specifically and I've 00:04:08.810 --> 00:04:11.229 got a couple I'm going to throw at you as we 00:04:11.229 --> 00:04:15.599 go along. here of the 48. So let's start off 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:18.160 with one that you wanted to mention. Let's talk 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:21.920 about the Army nurse, Diane Carlson Evans. I 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.000 thought hers was a great story. It is a great 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:30.699 story. She was a nice, innocent, young Midwestern 00:04:30.699 --> 00:04:34.800 farm girl, got her nursing degree and went immediately 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:39.220 and enlisted in the Army, took a commission and 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:43.160 said goodbye to her four brothers and their mom 00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:47.519 and dad on the farm and headed off to vietnam 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.939 and you know they first assigned her to a man 00:04:50.939 --> 00:04:54.720 hospital in boom tower over on the coast really 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:58.660 a resort and she did that for a couple of months 00:04:58.660 --> 00:05:02.019 but that wasn't what she was looking for and 00:05:02.019 --> 00:05:07.220 so she volunteered to go to the the back hospital 00:05:07.220 --> 00:05:12.500 and play crew. Camp Holloway and that was right 00:05:12.500 --> 00:05:17.040 smack in the middle of the fourth division the 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:21.480 big meat grinder battles up in the central highlands 00:05:21.480 --> 00:05:26.240 and and She got all of the war she wanted and 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:31.040 more hundreds of casualties pouring in and she 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:35.540 pulled her tour and She went home and and she 00:05:35.540 --> 00:05:40.160 went home angry She got home and found that she 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:44.300 couldn't talk to anybody about what she had experienced. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:49.459 She tried to stay in the army medical field and 00:05:49.459 --> 00:05:53.040 that didn't work. She married an army doctor, 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:57.680 a surgeon, and they went home to Minnesota and 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:02.139 she started having kids. But behind it all was 00:06:02.139 --> 00:06:09.029 the PTSD of what she had been through. More to 00:06:09.029 --> 00:06:13.370 the point is nineteen eighty two comes along 00:06:13.370 --> 00:06:17.110 and they dedicate the vietnam veterans memorial 00:06:17.110 --> 00:06:20.670 the wall in washington and they pay attention 00:06:20.670 --> 00:06:25.089 they put the three statues of the three g is 00:06:25.089 --> 00:06:30.769 up at the end of it and dian says. Where's the 00:06:30.769 --> 00:06:34.490 where's where's the woman you know we serve to. 00:06:34.730 --> 00:06:39.649 And and we're aware we're ignored and left out 00:06:39.649 --> 00:06:43.990 of the whole deal and that ain't right so she 00:06:43.990 --> 00:06:48.250 thought she would start a campaign to create 00:06:48.250 --> 00:06:53.329 a women's memorial on the mall in dc and she 00:06:53.329 --> 00:06:56.589 thought it might take two years it took ten. 00:06:57.730 --> 00:07:01.509 She had the fighter way through the washington 00:07:01.509 --> 00:07:07.779 dc bureaucracy though. Park service the congress 00:07:07.779 --> 00:07:13.079 there's art commissions and all kinds of people 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:18.180 and nobody wanted to help her except all of our 00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:21.819 fellow nurses all of the women who served in 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:25.680 vietnam who understood what she was all about. 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:31.519 And eventually they got it done like i said it 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:36.600 took ten years. For the dedication of that women's 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:41.740 memorial, they had a big veterans march down 00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:48.680 Constitution Avenue. I remember that well because 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:53.220 General Moore and I picked up the first cab guys 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:55.579 and put them at the front of the parade where 00:07:55.579 --> 00:08:02.740 we thought they belonged. We were leading them. 00:08:03.719 --> 00:08:08.740 And suddenly a little short red headed lady came 00:08:08.740 --> 00:08:12.220 running out got between us and grabbed each of 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:19.779 us by hand and she said. I'm from the 82nd evac 00:08:19.779 --> 00:08:23.920 hospital and yet wrong we treated all of your 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:27.519 wounded that came out of the cab in the eye drawing 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:34.399 valley and i wanna march with you guys. We were 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:39.580 as proud of her as she was of the cab and we 00:08:39.580 --> 00:08:43.340 all marched down and then we could be proud of 00:08:43.340 --> 00:08:47.279 what Diane Carlson Evans had achieved with that 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:52.519 magnificent statue of the two nurses and the 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:59.460 wounded GI. And she's just a remarkable woman. 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:06.259 and achieved so much when there were times she 00:09:06.259 --> 00:09:12.080 thought about suicide. The PTSD was eaten away 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:16.539 at her, but this campaign gave her what she needed 00:09:16.539 --> 00:09:21.879 to get over that and get past that and do something 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:26.220 good for America. And for all of those military 00:09:26.220 --> 00:09:31.139 nurses who took such good care of all of our 00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:36.179 wounded, you know, and in four tours in Vietnam 00:09:36.179 --> 00:09:40.559 and half a dozen other wars, I've seen it all. 00:09:41.059 --> 00:09:44.679 I've seen the bodies stacked high as the roof 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:49.820 in places like Bangladesh and the India -Pak 00:09:49.820 --> 00:09:58.629 War and other wars. I could not do the job the 00:09:58.629 --> 00:10:04.350 military nurses do. I could not see that 12 hours 00:10:04.350 --> 00:10:09.309 a day, every day, month after month, destroyed 00:10:09.309 --> 00:10:13.250 bodies, the young men dying. How do you do that? 00:10:13.629 --> 00:10:16.169 I don't know. We've had the privilege here on 00:10:16.169 --> 00:10:18.309 Veterans Radio of talking with a number of nurses 00:10:18.309 --> 00:10:22.029 from the Vietnam era and each one of them talks 00:10:22.029 --> 00:10:25.669 about at some point in their tours, they just 00:10:25.669 --> 00:10:27.710 shut down emotionally because they couldn't deal 00:10:27.710 --> 00:10:36.490 with it any longer. It's amazing. Last year, 00:10:36.669 --> 00:10:41.529 I spent a week doing video interviews of the 00:10:41.529 --> 00:10:46.169 veterans, the doctors, nurses and techs from 00:10:46.169 --> 00:10:51.250 the 85th evac hospital in Nha Trang. who treated 00:10:51.250 --> 00:10:54.850 our wounded from the I had rang battles in the 00:10:54.850 --> 00:11:01.529 nineteen sixty -five. Those stories are just 00:11:01.529 --> 00:11:04.970 etched in their minds and their hearts. One of 00:11:04.970 --> 00:11:09.649 them told me, you know, on one single day in 00:11:09.649 --> 00:11:13.990 that terrible November of nineteen sixty -five, 00:11:14.529 --> 00:11:19.509 we had two hundred twenty -five first have troopers 00:11:19.509 --> 00:11:25.230 wounded land on our doorstep in one day. People 00:11:25.230 --> 00:11:29.070 today, nurses and doctors and so forth can understand 00:11:29.070 --> 00:11:31.809 that with the coronavirus going around where 00:11:31.809 --> 00:11:34.889 people are coming into their hospitals by the 00:11:34.889 --> 00:11:39.509 tens and hundreds and you can see when you look 00:11:39.509 --> 00:11:44.250 at Diane and the other nurses that of course 00:11:44.250 --> 00:11:48.000 it's going to take its toll on you. And I wanted 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:49.620 to start off with her because I thought that 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:53.700 was so important that we realize what these nurses 00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:56.340 go through on a daily basis when they hold the 00:11:56.340 --> 00:11:59.080 hands of the, in this case of the young boys 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:01.940 that were dying in Vietnam and unfortunately 00:12:01.940 --> 00:12:03.779 today they're holding the hands of the people 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:07.139 that are passing away from this virus. Let's 00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:10.600 move on to, let's do Max Cleveland. I had the 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:13.200 honor of talking with Max a number of years ago 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:18.899 and this guy is tough. He is a remarkable human 00:12:18.899 --> 00:12:24.720 being, one of my heroes. And I must tell you 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:30.580 that, you know, my co -author, the late Lieutenant 00:12:30.580 --> 00:12:35.519 General Hal Moore, is a very non -political guy, 00:12:36.059 --> 00:12:40.240 all of his career. There's only one exception 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:43.879 to that. He stood on the steps of the Georgia 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:49.940 State Capitol and endorsed Max Cleland for reelection 00:12:49.940 --> 00:12:54.600 to the U .S. Senate. And and i cheered him on 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:59.639 max just a remarkable human being you know he 00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:04.320 lost both legs and one arm in a grenade explosion 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:09.740 he was a cab officer he was arriving at case 00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:15.139 on when the cab went up to lend the marines a 00:13:15.139 --> 00:13:18.950 hand with all of that. stuff up there, and he 00:13:18.950 --> 00:13:23.250 was dismounting the helicopter and somebody dropped 00:13:23.250 --> 00:13:30.929 a live grenade. It got him. It got him bad. You 00:13:30.929 --> 00:13:37.149 lose three limbs and you don't have much left, 00:13:37.629 --> 00:13:43.389 but what do you do then? If you're Max Cleland, 00:13:43.710 --> 00:13:49.230 you go home. You get to work and you go into 00:13:49.230 --> 00:13:53.490 politics and you become the secretary of state 00:13:53.490 --> 00:13:58.950 of Georgia and then you achieve the highest goal 00:13:58.950 --> 00:14:03.730 of your life. Sit in the U .S. Senate and he 00:14:03.730 --> 00:14:10.190 did that and you know he got done in by some 00:14:10.190 --> 00:14:14.929 dirty politics on his attempt to get a second 00:14:14.929 --> 00:14:21.100 term. And since then has worked as the executive 00:14:21.100 --> 00:14:24.159 director of the American battlefield commission, 00:14:24.379 --> 00:14:28.639 which takes care of our military cemeteries all 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:34.000 around the world. Yeah, he's an incredible. incredible 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:36.360 guy. I mean, you know, and the idea that people 00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:38.080 attacked him because he quote wasn't wounded 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:41.740 enough was was just disgusting. And it's always 00:14:41.740 --> 00:14:46.799 so upsetting to people who were attacking him 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:50.399 for not being wounded enough. Yeah, I know. I 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.419 know what you mean. Well, you know, that happens. 00:14:53.940 --> 00:14:57.720 So let's move along. How about this? I want to 00:14:57.720 --> 00:15:02.159 talk about your wife. Always, always happy to 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:06.379 do that. I figured you would be well, doc. Gracie 00:15:06.379 --> 00:15:11.220 is a truly remarkable human being. Uh, best thing 00:15:11.220 --> 00:15:15.200 that ever happened to me. They say third time's 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:19.460 charm and, uh, she's wife number three and we've 00:15:19.460 --> 00:15:24.519 been together. Well, I met her 50 years ago in 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:27.659 Indonesia, should have married her then and, 00:15:27.659 --> 00:15:31.610 uh, kept track of her until about. Thirty years 00:15:31.610 --> 00:15:36.070 ago and saw her in dc and then she disappeared 00:15:36.070 --> 00:15:40.470 she turned up nine years ago and i said where 00:15:40.470 --> 00:15:43.889 the hell have you been and she said well i took 00:15:43.889 --> 00:15:47.029 my. Eight year old daughter and ran away and 00:15:47.029 --> 00:15:52.559 joined the circus and i said what can yeah. She 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:56.039 had signed on as a traveling nurse with Barnum 00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:59.860 and Bailey. And a year later, she and her little 00:15:59.860 --> 00:16:03.879 daughter were aerialists in the trapeze act in 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:08.700 the big top. And she did that for 10 years. And 00:16:08.700 --> 00:16:12.759 then she came back and got her nurse practitioner 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:19.879 degree and license. And then she got a PhD in 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:24.269 public health. And, uh, she turned back up and, 00:16:24.309 --> 00:16:26.830 uh, and I said, well, you're not getting away 00:16:26.830 --> 00:16:31.610 this time. I'm going to marry you. Uh, she's 00:16:31.610 --> 00:16:34.809 a Singapore Chinese now an American citizen, 00:16:34.809 --> 00:16:39.350 of course, but she was a first cousin of, uh, 00:16:39.350 --> 00:16:43.549 the old Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, 00:16:43.549 --> 00:16:49.110 uh, who founded modern Singapore and made it 00:16:49.110 --> 00:16:52.899 run like a Swiss watch. And she's nobody to mess 00:16:52.899 --> 00:16:57.019 with. She's still works every day at the community 00:16:57.019 --> 00:17:01.320 free clinic here in Concord. She tastes, she 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:05.140 doctors people who have no insurance, people 00:17:05.140 --> 00:17:11.039 who are poor, people who are homeless and not 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.440 inconsiderable number of homeless veterans who 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.819 camp out in the woods behind the Harris teeter 00:17:18.819 --> 00:17:23.170 grocery store. If they're too spooked to come 00:17:23.170 --> 00:17:26.049 to the clinic, she takes her black bag and goes 00:17:26.049 --> 00:17:29.009 out in the woods and treats them out there. My 00:17:29.009 --> 00:17:31.789 goodness. I wanted to bring her up because she 00:17:31.789 --> 00:17:34.289 was actually in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. 00:17:34.829 --> 00:17:42.130 She was indeed and was working with the street 00:17:42.130 --> 00:17:50.380 kids and war orphans in Saigon. A relative had 00:17:50.380 --> 00:17:54.059 a big house in Cholan, the Chinese section of 00:17:54.059 --> 00:17:59.359 Saigon, and that house was burned down. So she 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.839 went through some tough times. That's what I 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:06.579 wanted to get to now. She continued on and just 00:18:06.579 --> 00:18:09.299 wanted to be a nurse and that's what she's been 00:18:09.299 --> 00:18:12.779 doing forever. That's what she's been doing forever 00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:16.839 and she's going to keep doing it as long as she's 00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:19.650 drawing a breath. It's great that there are people 00:18:19.650 --> 00:18:23.769 out there and you're lucky that you found her 00:18:23.769 --> 00:18:27.480 again. Oh, absolutely. She says she's going to 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:31.000 get another 15 years out of me. We can only hope, 00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:32.640 Joe. We need you around. And we're talking with 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.799 Joe Galloway here on Veterans Radio. And the 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:37.119 name of his newest book is They Were Soldiers. 00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:40.119 It talks about the sacrifices and the contributions 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:42.779 of Vietnam veterans. And there are so many names 00:18:42.779 --> 00:18:45.619 in here. Some of you will that many of you will 00:18:45.619 --> 00:18:47.900 recognize some of them. So many people in this. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:50.579 in this book that, you know, obviously we can't 00:18:50.579 --> 00:18:52.140 get to all of them today. We're talking with 00:18:52.140 --> 00:18:55.240 Joe Galloway, his new book is They Were Soldiers. 00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:57.640 It's about the sacrifices and contributions of 00:18:57.640 --> 00:19:01.220 Vietnam veterans. We've got a lot of people here 00:19:01.220 --> 00:19:07.150 to be proud of as fellow Vietnam veterans. And 00:19:07.150 --> 00:19:10.549 we just wanted to put their stories out there 00:19:10.549 --> 00:19:16.349 for Americans to read and understand who we are. 00:19:16.390 --> 00:19:20.710 And I've for years been making speeches to veterans 00:19:20.710 --> 00:19:25.329 groups and active duty military. And what I say 00:19:25.329 --> 00:19:31.269 is the Vietnam cohort may not be the greatest 00:19:31.269 --> 00:19:34.630 generation, as they said, of the World War II 00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:38.880 guys. But by God, they're the greatest of their 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:41.779 generation. Absolutely. I couldn't agree with 00:19:41.779 --> 00:19:45.880 you more. And I think if you stack them up against 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:47.799 the greatest generation, if you put them all 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:50.079 in the same situation, they would all react the 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:54.680 same way. You got it. You got it. I think that's 00:19:54.680 --> 00:19:56.759 what people have to have to really remember. 00:19:57.579 --> 00:20:00.839 The book is the book is they were soldiers, the 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:03.160 sacrifices, contributions of Vietnam veterans. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:06.180 i encourage you to go out and get a hold of this 00:20:06.180 --> 00:20:07.720 there are so many names in here that you're going 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:10.559 to recognize no galway i want to thank you very 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:13.359 much for being on veterans radio again uh... 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:16.359 my pleasure and we'll do it again sometime welcome 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:18.519 to veterans radio tell us uh... we are in what 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:21.019 you do good morning gary thanks for having me 00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:23.680 on this morning and uh... we hope uh... that 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:25.660 you guys are enjoying the Memorial Day weekend 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:28.519 and hope that all of your listeners are celebrating 00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:30.839 Memorial Day as it should be, remembering those 00:20:30.839 --> 00:20:34.119 who've come before us and have served. But again, 00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:36.019 as you mentioned, my name is Michael Patterson. 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:39.359 I'm the Webmaster and originator of the Arlington 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:43.039 National Cemetery website, which is my own personal 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:44.880 website. It doesn't belong to the government 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.480 or to the Army. I do it as a gift to America, 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.539 if you will. They have their own website, which 00:20:51.539 --> 00:20:55.000 is very is it the identical name only dot org 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:57.980 or yeah? Yes, it is your website is before we 00:20:57.980 --> 00:21:01.180 get ours is w w w dot Arlington Cemetery dot 00:21:01.180 --> 00:21:05.500 net and also Arlington Cemetery dot com Michael 00:21:05.500 --> 00:21:08.339 You started you started off with a very small 00:21:08.339 --> 00:21:11.339 website, correct? Well, I did Gary back in in 00:21:11.339 --> 00:21:14.400 1996 We started off with a very humble very small 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:17.750 ten page website and how large is it now? It's 00:21:17.750 --> 00:21:21.690 now running about 35 ,000 pages. I don't think 00:21:21.690 --> 00:21:24.329 I could go through it in my lifetime. I don't 00:21:24.329 --> 00:21:28.450 know how you found time to do it. Tell us, you 00:21:28.450 --> 00:21:30.869 got interested in it because your dad was in 00:21:30.869 --> 00:21:34.430 the military. You're now retired, so he was in 00:21:34.430 --> 00:21:37.369 World War II, Korea, and the start of Vietnam, 00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:40.950 is that correct? Yes, he was. He retired in 1965. 00:21:41.170 --> 00:21:45.180 He was a lifetime military officer. And through 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:47.640 that, you know, I gained a lot of interest in 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:50.000 military history and American history, for sure. 00:21:50.619 --> 00:21:52.680 And, you know, because of his affiliation with 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:54.720 the military, we had been down in the D .C. area 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:57.799 a number of times. And of course, you know, when 00:21:57.799 --> 00:22:00.400 you visit Washington, D .C., you know, the metro 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:02.660 area, Arlington National Cemetery is certainly 00:22:02.660 --> 00:22:05.640 a place that one needs to visit. That's such 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:09.599 a solemn spot. And every time I walk through 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.799 there, it just hits me. I look at these tombstones 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.740 and I think, the stories here, the stories that 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:21.940 have never been told. It's sacred to me. How 00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:24.779 large is Arlington? Arlington Cemetery right 00:22:24.779 --> 00:22:29.559 now is 660 acres. The good news is that there's 00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:32.299 been some additional property ceded to Arlington 00:22:32.299 --> 00:22:36.579 from joining military organizations, so we'll 00:22:36.579 --> 00:22:39.779 be adding about 80 acres to the cemetery, which 00:22:39.779 --> 00:22:43.819 will keep it alive certainly beyond 2060. as 00:22:43.819 --> 00:22:46.660 an active cemetery. And how many are buried there? 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:50.519 Well, right now there's pushing around 300 ,000. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:53.440 How much more room will they have? How many more 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.579 can it take? Well, again, the present burial 00:22:56.579 --> 00:23:00.099 rate, which is around between 27 and 30 a day, 00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:03.259 they'll be able to continue right up until 2060. 00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:06.920 It's estimated at this point. Who qualifies to 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:11.069 be buried there? Well, it's... The criteria there 00:23:11.069 --> 00:23:15.049 has become very restricted following President 00:23:15.049 --> 00:23:17.190 Kennedy being buried there. Arlington became 00:23:17.190 --> 00:23:19.950 a very popular burial site, as you can imagine. 00:23:21.849 --> 00:23:24.470 Congress passed some very severe restrictions 00:23:24.470 --> 00:23:30.190 following that time. Right now, anyone who dies 00:23:30.190 --> 00:23:34.089 on active duty, of course, is eligible. Retired 00:23:34.089 --> 00:23:38.240 military who are receiving uh... no uh... retirement 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.740 pay from the military are eligible and uh... 00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:44.539 certain other persons who receive certain military 00:23:44.539 --> 00:23:48.019 honors of course medal of honor recipients silver 00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:51.259 star recipients and of course purple heart recipients 00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:54.440 are immediately eligible so that there are all 00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:58.660 sorts of other criteria You know we do have that 00:23:58.660 --> 00:24:00.700 on the website it goes on and on for several 00:24:00.700 --> 00:24:02.940 pages because there there are some exceptions 00:24:02.940 --> 00:24:05.519 of course So if somebody wants to know whether 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:08.200 or not they or a loved one qualifies they can 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.640 go to your website Absolutely, they can okay 00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:15.579 terrific what a service How did Arlington get 00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:17.960 started and when well it was a very interesting 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:21.900 story it actually Arlington is you probably know 00:24:21.900 --> 00:24:25.960 was was in the family of Robert E Lee who became 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:30.240 the Confederate general. But in 1862, after the 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:33.160 Civil War had started, the United States Congress 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:37.460 passed a tax act against the states that were 00:24:37.460 --> 00:24:42.420 in rebellion, the southern states. If those taxes 00:24:42.420 --> 00:24:44.660 weren't paid, certain properties were seized, 00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:49.319 and one of those was the Arlington estate. They 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:51.779 filed suit against the Arlington estate in the 00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:56.000 amount of $92 .07 in taxes plus penalties. And 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:58.440 of course, General Lee could not pass over the 00:24:58.440 --> 00:25:01.019 line to pay the taxes, so the United States government 00:25:01.019 --> 00:25:05.259 seized the property in 1862 for what they categorized 00:25:05.259 --> 00:25:08.059 as war, military, charitable, and educational 00:25:08.059 --> 00:25:12.420 purposes. And it didn't become a cemetery until 00:25:12.420 --> 00:25:16.690 1864. when Brigadier General Montgomery Meigs, 00:25:16.849 --> 00:25:18.730 who was the quartermaster general of the Union 00:25:18.730 --> 00:25:23.309 Army at that time, and who was a person who harbored 00:25:23.309 --> 00:25:26.170 a strong jealousy for Robert E. Lee for turning 00:25:26.170 --> 00:25:29.609 against the Union and joining the Confederacy, 00:25:29.609 --> 00:25:33.170 recommended to President Lincoln that they establish 00:25:33.170 --> 00:25:38.789 a cemetery on the grounds, principally to provide 00:25:38.789 --> 00:25:41.589 additional burial space, but secondarily to prevent 00:25:41.589 --> 00:25:44.309 General Lee or his family from ever living in 00:25:44.309 --> 00:25:48.710 the estate again. And actually, before the cemetery 00:25:48.710 --> 00:25:52.750 was actually established in June 1864, on May 00:25:52.750 --> 00:25:55.789 13th, 1864, the first burial took place, who 00:25:55.789 --> 00:25:58.829 was a private William Crispin from a Pennsylvania 00:25:58.829 --> 00:26:01.369 infantry regiment who had died in a Washington 00:26:01.369 --> 00:26:05.599 hospital. That's amazing to me that That you 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:07.900 would know or that the history would know the 00:26:07.900 --> 00:26:10.859 very first person to be buried at Arlington I'd 00:26:10.859 --> 00:26:13.339 have never guessed we we would know that and 00:26:13.339 --> 00:26:16.259 was where the Union soldiers buried close to 00:26:16.259 --> 00:26:19.440 the Mansion did I understand? Yes, they were 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:22.559 they were buried in what what was mrs. Lee's 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:26.380 Rose Garden? Right right near the the mansion 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:29.779 and Meigs General Meigs who we mentioned before 00:26:30.009 --> 00:26:32.509 actually personally supervised it because he 00:26:32.509 --> 00:26:34.569 wanted them buried so close to the mansion that 00:26:34.569 --> 00:26:37.549 it would never become a private home again. Tell 00:26:37.549 --> 00:26:41.750 us the connection or the history of Mrs. Lee. 00:26:42.589 --> 00:26:44.829 Well, Mrs. Lee actually owned the property. It 00:26:44.829 --> 00:26:48.250 wasn't actually General Lee's property. Her father, 00:26:48.710 --> 00:26:51.430 George Washington Park Custis, was the adopted 00:26:51.430 --> 00:26:54.369 son of George Washington, which many people don't 00:26:54.369 --> 00:26:57.970 know. When he died, the property went to Mrs. 00:26:58.009 --> 00:27:01.920 Lee. And she and raised her family there for 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:04.200 many, many years while her husband was in the 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:07.480 United States Army serving out West. He came 00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:10.519 back to the property at some point in time after 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:14.220 George Washington Park Custis died. And he's 00:27:14.220 --> 00:27:16.240 actually buried with his wife on the property. 00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:18.700 So they were actually the first burials, although 00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:21.460 they were civilians. They were buried on the 00:27:21.460 --> 00:27:27.849 estate well before it was a cemetery. Now the 00:27:27.849 --> 00:27:30.750 mansion is still there. Yes it is. It's called 00:27:30.750 --> 00:27:32.990 Arlington House or sometimes called the Custis 00:27:32.990 --> 00:27:36.009 Lee Mansion. What do you see when you're standing 00:27:36.009 --> 00:27:38.990 there? What is the house used for now? It's used 00:27:38.990 --> 00:27:43.049 now. It's now called the Robert E. Lee National 00:27:43.049 --> 00:27:46.410 Memorial and it's been restored to the way it 00:27:46.410 --> 00:27:50.710 looked in the 1860s. It has much of the original 00:27:50.710 --> 00:27:53.710 furniture in it and it's a very beautiful home. 00:27:54.819 --> 00:27:57.359 And when you stand on the porch you look out 00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:00.099 over? Well, immediately if you look out, you 00:28:00.099 --> 00:28:03.019 can look down and right down the hill from that 00:28:03.019 --> 00:28:06.039 is the John F. Kennedy burial site, the Robert 00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:09.140 F. Kennedy burial site, and right in the front 00:28:09.140 --> 00:28:11.900 yard is where General Phil Sheridan from the 00:28:11.900 --> 00:28:14.720 Civil War is buried. And then you look out and 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:16.819 you see the graves and then in the distance you 00:28:16.819 --> 00:28:19.079 see the Potomac? You see the Potomac and you 00:28:19.079 --> 00:28:21.220 can see Washington D .C. off in the distance. 00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:24.680 And off to the right would be the Pentagon. Yes, 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:27.420 absolutely, and you can see the U .S. Capitol, 00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:29.460 you can see the Washington Monument. It's just 00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:32.920 an absolutely beautiful sight. It's stunning. 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:35.720 I've been there and I've wandered around. When 00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:39.079 you wander around, you see a lot of monuments, 00:28:39.420 --> 00:28:42.460 you see a lot of plaques of dedication. Can you 00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:45.420 tell us about that and tell us who qualifies 00:28:45.420 --> 00:28:48.039 to be able to put a plaque there? Well, many, 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:50.740 many very groups, military groups principally, 00:28:50.819 --> 00:28:54.299 obviously, of course, have applied to Arlington 00:28:54.299 --> 00:28:57.960 over the years to have plaques placed in memory 00:28:57.960 --> 00:29:00.400 of their groups. There were very groups such 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:03.779 as the Navy Seabees, of course, have a monument 00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:06.000 right outside the gates of Arlington on Memorial 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:08.880 Drive. One that I'm near and dear to my heart. 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:10.980 I knew it would be. That's why I wanted to mention 00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:12.880 that, Gary, because I know that that's very close 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:17.029 to you. But again, there are literally hundreds, 00:29:17.910 --> 00:29:20.049 I wouldn't say thousands, but there are many 00:29:20.049 --> 00:29:23.670 hundred memorials that have been placed by various 00:29:23.670 --> 00:29:26.089 military and veterans groups throughout the cemetery. 00:29:26.529 --> 00:29:29.190 And there are anything from trees with plaques 00:29:29.190 --> 00:29:32.789 below them to very large memorials. There's going 00:29:32.789 --> 00:29:38.710 back into the late 1890s, early 1900s, there's 00:29:38.710 --> 00:29:42.069 the Spanish -American War Memorial, there's the 00:29:42.069 --> 00:29:45.119 Rough Riders Memorial, And then, of course, the 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:47.559 largest one in the cemetery is the USS Maine 00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:52.119 Memorial, which was established from the USS 00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:56.019 Maine being sunk in Havana Harbor, which started 00:29:56.019 --> 00:29:59.519 the Spanish -American War. And in the early 1900s, 00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:02.099 the mast of the USS Maine was brought to Arlington 00:30:02.099 --> 00:30:05.660 and placed above the graves of many of the sailors 00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:10.500 that were lost on the USS Maine. Do I remember 00:30:10.500 --> 00:30:14.009 hearing something about the remains of people 00:30:14.009 --> 00:30:17.069 being in that mast, or is it another monument 00:30:17.069 --> 00:30:19.009 that I'm thinking of? No, you're absolutely correct. 00:30:19.089 --> 00:30:23.450 Over the years, Manuel Cusano, who was the president 00:30:23.450 --> 00:30:26.410 of the Philippines during World War II, was in 00:30:26.410 --> 00:30:29.569 exile in Washington and died in Washington, and 00:30:29.569 --> 00:30:33.609 his body was kept in the base of the USS Maine 00:30:33.609 --> 00:30:36.589 until the war was over, and eventually his body 00:30:36.589 --> 00:30:39.349 was returned to the Philippines. Another interesting 00:30:39.349 --> 00:30:42.529 thing is Ignis Jan Patarski, the president of 00:30:42.529 --> 00:30:46.390 Poland at the beginning of World War II died 00:30:46.390 --> 00:30:50.130 in the United States in 1941 and he laid in state 00:30:50.130 --> 00:30:55.589 in the base of the USS Maine until the administration 00:30:55.589 --> 00:30:59.269 of the first President Bush when his body was 00:30:59.269 --> 00:31:01.910 finally returned to Poland once Poland was declared 00:31:01.910 --> 00:31:05.130 free again. That was something that caught me 00:31:05.130 --> 00:31:09.339 by surprise is that there are different people 00:31:09.339 --> 00:31:12.500 from different nationalities. The person that 00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:15.140 you mentioned, that is not the same person that 00:31:15.140 --> 00:31:18.660 there's a statue in Detroit. I think the person 00:31:18.660 --> 00:31:21.779 in Detroit was a Revolutionary War general, is 00:31:21.779 --> 00:31:25.460 that correct? Yes, but he was not in Arlington. 00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:28.420 But you know, once you've mentioned it, there 00:31:28.420 --> 00:31:33.000 are just numbers of foreign persons who are buried 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:36.099 in Arlington. It sometimes surprises a lot of 00:31:36.099 --> 00:31:39.220 folks. The most recent one, of course, was an 00:31:39.220 --> 00:31:43.160 Iraqi Air Force captain who was killed on a mission 00:31:43.160 --> 00:31:49.200 with several American military people, and their 00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:51.599 remains could not be individually identified 00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:54.319 because they were killed in a plane crash. He 00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:59.039 is buried in Section 60, where most of the casualties 00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:03.440 from Iraq are buried. And his name is Ali Hassam 00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:06.960 Abbas Arubai. And he was, again, an Iraqi Air 00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:10.579 Force captain. In fact, there's a number of graves, 00:32:10.579 --> 00:32:12.599 are there not, where there are more than one 00:32:12.599 --> 00:32:15.319 person because of the way the casualty took place? 00:32:15.420 --> 00:32:17.019 There was no separating them? Is that correct? 00:32:17.019 --> 00:32:22.059 Oh, absolutely. There are very many group, what 00:32:22.059 --> 00:32:24.759 they call group burials at Arlington. And again, 00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:27.819 most of them, or a lot of them, result from World 00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:30.599 War II. And they're still finding, you know, 00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:33.480 remains of World War II casualties, mostly from 00:32:33.480 --> 00:32:37.480 aircraft accidents and shoot downs, a lot of 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:41.039 them from New Guinea, you know, as late as just 00:32:41.039 --> 00:32:43.880 this year, where they're finding aircrew remains 00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:47.059 and they're burying them as a group burial in 00:32:47.059 --> 00:32:49.460 Arlington. Now, who's getting buried the most 00:32:49.460 --> 00:32:51.880 right now? Is it veterans or is it active duty? 00:32:52.170 --> 00:32:55.410 Well, right now it's veterans, for sure, because 00:32:55.410 --> 00:32:57.869 we're losing so many of our World War II veterans, 00:32:58.470 --> 00:33:00.369 and they certainly were, as Tom Brokaw wrote 00:33:00.369 --> 00:33:02.990 in his book, The Greatest Generation, and we're 00:33:02.990 --> 00:33:06.130 losing them at an alarming rate. That will, I 00:33:06.130 --> 00:33:08.930 think, continue to be the case because of the 00:33:08.930 --> 00:33:12.190 way we're losing them, and they're aging out 00:33:12.190 --> 00:33:14.529 on us, and we're losing so many of them that 00:33:14.529 --> 00:33:17.450 if you look at the roster of the funerals taking 00:33:17.450 --> 00:33:21.750 place every day, that we're losing the veterans. 00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:25.299 As a matter of fact, it surprises many people 00:33:25.299 --> 00:33:28.160 to know that per capita, Vietnam vets are dying 00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:31.480 at just about double the rate per capita as World 00:33:31.480 --> 00:33:34.579 War II vets. Yes, they are, and obviously at 00:33:34.579 --> 00:33:38.059 a much younger age. Right. I keep looking at 00:33:38.059 --> 00:33:41.980 the clock, the calendar every day. Don't do that, 00:33:42.119 --> 00:33:44.200 Gary. We need you to continue on with this fine 00:33:44.200 --> 00:33:46.799 program. This program keeps me going, believe 00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:51.049 it or not. At any rate, you get a lot of visitors. 00:33:51.150 --> 00:33:53.549 How many visitors a year do you get at Arlington? 00:33:53.910 --> 00:33:56.750 About four million people a year visit through 00:33:56.750 --> 00:34:00.849 there. It's the most visited cemetery in America, 00:34:00.890 --> 00:34:05.390 probably in the world. You've been down there 00:34:05.390 --> 00:34:07.430 a number of times and I'm there quite frequently. 00:34:08.510 --> 00:34:11.730 It varies from school groups to veterans groups 00:34:11.730 --> 00:34:15.550 to... I was just down there two weeks ago and... 00:34:15.610 --> 00:34:18.269 They had police officers from all over the country 00:34:18.269 --> 00:34:21.170 that were in for the police officer's memorial, 00:34:21.309 --> 00:34:23.329 which is held in Washington, D .C., annually. 00:34:24.409 --> 00:34:27.829 And they were just thousands of police officers 00:34:27.829 --> 00:34:31.809 in the district. And most of those groups came 00:34:31.809 --> 00:34:33.949 to Arlington, and they were all in their uniforms, 00:34:34.010 --> 00:34:37.789 and they had all come to the Tomb of the Unknowns 00:34:37.789 --> 00:34:40.690 to witness the changing of the guard by the 3rd 00:34:40.690 --> 00:34:43.360 Infantry Division, which is the old guard. And 00:34:43.360 --> 00:34:46.400 when we come back, we're going to be, in the 00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:48.260 third segment, we're going to be talking about 00:34:48.260 --> 00:34:50.920 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And in the next 00:34:50.920 --> 00:34:53.519 segment, I want you to take us through a funeral 00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:57.039 and how it takes place there at Arlington Cemetery. 00:34:57.420 --> 00:34:59.599 We're talking to Michael Patterson on Veterans 00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:02.760 Radio. Michael Patterson maintains his own private 00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:06.480 website on Arlington National Cemetery, and it's 00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:12.599 ArlingtonCemetery .org. The time is roaring past. 00:35:12.820 --> 00:35:15.300 We're going into our first break. We'll be right 00:35:15.300 --> 00:35:18.159 back on Veterans Radio. We're with Michael Patterson. 00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:22.360 You know what? I got a little scattered there 00:35:22.360 --> 00:35:24.380 because I'm looking at my notes, and I wanted 00:35:24.380 --> 00:35:27.639 to have you take me through a funeral that takes 00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:31.219 place. I'm looking at the names James Linton 00:35:31.219 --> 00:35:33.820 Heward, who was someone I knew from Dearborn, 00:35:33.820 --> 00:35:36.760 Michigan back in the teenage days prior to the 00:35:36.760 --> 00:35:40.989 service. James Linton Heward was an F -4 pilot 00:35:40.989 --> 00:35:46.250 who went down on July 12th, 1972 up in the north 00:35:46.250 --> 00:35:49.690 and then his remains were found and returned 00:35:49.690 --> 00:35:53.250 and he was buried in 1997. Very, very emotional 00:35:53.250 --> 00:35:55.190 day and I was thinking about that and I was getting 00:35:55.190 --> 00:35:58.610 a little bit emotional about it again. Michael 00:35:58.610 --> 00:36:02.969 Patterson, take us through the cemetery, the 00:36:02.969 --> 00:36:05.530 burial at one of those, at Arlington Cemetery 00:36:05.530 --> 00:36:08.980 and I'm going to let you talk till I get my That's 00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:12.000 okay, Gary. I can understand. You know, when 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:14.739 you attend a funeral at Arlington Cemetery, it's 00:36:14.739 --> 00:36:17.039 unlike anything that you'll ever experience. 00:36:17.739 --> 00:36:21.000 There are two types of funeral services that 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:23.980 take place there. The most common one is called 00:36:23.980 --> 00:36:26.739 standard military honors, and that's available 00:36:26.739 --> 00:36:29.460 to any enlisted service member or any officer. 00:36:29.940 --> 00:36:33.219 And that consists of a six -man body -bearer 00:36:33.219 --> 00:36:36.719 detail. a firing party which fires a three -rifle 00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:38.719 volley, and that's sometimes confused with a 00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:42.460 21 -gun salute, which it's not. There's a bugler 00:36:42.460 --> 00:36:44.300 to play taps, and then there's, of course, a 00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:47.659 chaplain from the deceased military service. 00:36:48.360 --> 00:36:52.719 The body bearers carry the flag -grave casket 00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:55.460 to the grave, hold the flag over the casket while 00:36:55.460 --> 00:36:58.260 the chaplain says some appropriate words, and 00:36:58.260 --> 00:37:00.300 then following the committal service, the firing 00:37:00.300 --> 00:37:02.820 party is called to attention, fires the three 00:37:02.820 --> 00:37:05.789 -rifle volley, And then the bugler plays taps, 00:37:05.889 --> 00:37:09.010 which to my mind is just always just awesome. 00:37:09.130 --> 00:37:11.469 It just makes the hair stand up on your back 00:37:11.469 --> 00:37:14.389 of your neck. The body bearers fold the flag 00:37:14.389 --> 00:37:17.989 and then that's presented to the next akin by 00:37:17.989 --> 00:37:23.630 the officer that's conducting the services. Now 00:37:23.630 --> 00:37:26.670 on the other hand, Arlington is the only cemetery 00:37:26.670 --> 00:37:28.909 in the world that offers on a regular basis a 00:37:28.909 --> 00:37:32.239 full military honors funeral. available at the 00:37:32.239 --> 00:37:34.760 family's request to officers and warrant officers. 00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:37.820 Now, a full honor service consists of a procession 00:37:37.820 --> 00:37:40.019 to the gravesite with a horse -drawn caisson, 00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:43.840 a marching band, a marching escort of troops, 00:37:44.760 --> 00:37:47.460 a four -man color guard. The chaplain joins the 00:37:47.460 --> 00:37:50.219 procession as well in front of the caisson and 00:37:50.219 --> 00:37:53.199 behind the escort band and color guard. Once 00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:55.400 at the grave site, the services is pretty much 00:37:55.400 --> 00:37:57.780 identical to the standard services, with the 00:37:57.780 --> 00:37:59.739 exception that the band plays while the casket 00:37:59.739 --> 00:38:02.659 is taken to the grave and the flags being folded. 00:38:03.820 --> 00:38:07.960 It's just an absolutely breathtaking and emotional 00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:11.960 and absolutely symbolic farewell to an American 00:38:11.960 --> 00:38:15.280 fighting man. The interesting thing that happens 00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:18.300 at Arlington as well, and people of our era may 00:38:18.300 --> 00:38:20.320 remember this from John F. Kennedy's funeral, 00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:25.280 is the riderless horse. And that is for officers 00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:28.760 who are a Colonel or above, where the riderless 00:38:28.760 --> 00:38:31.719 horse follows the case on. And that is called 00:38:31.719 --> 00:38:36.800 the Capron horse. And it's a horse with no rider, 00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:40.239 of course. And the boots are reversed in the 00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:43.820 stirrups, which means that the rider will no 00:38:43.820 --> 00:38:47.840 longer ride his horse. When you see that happen 00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:50.139 at Arlington, it absolutely takes your breath 00:38:50.139 --> 00:38:53.039 away. That was the funeral type of funeral they 00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:56.960 had for Jim Heward. Absolutely. I'm the Vietnam 00:38:56.960 --> 00:39:02.219 Veterans of America Chapter 310 representative 00:39:02.219 --> 00:39:05.000 at the Vietnam Veterans of America Michigan State 00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:06.860 Council, where we get the committee reports, 00:39:06.940 --> 00:39:10.360 one of them always being the POW -MIA report. 00:39:12.450 --> 00:39:15.150 hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was taking 00:39:15.150 --> 00:39:17.929 the notes when the man was giving his report 00:39:17.929 --> 00:39:21.849 and he said the remains of James Linton Heward 00:39:21.849 --> 00:39:24.670 from Dearborn, Michigan have been returned and 00:39:24.670 --> 00:39:28.389 my head snapped back to I know and my eyes filled 00:39:28.389 --> 00:39:30.929 with tears and I continued to take the notes 00:39:30.929 --> 00:39:33.250 although I had a hard time seeing the paper and 00:39:33.250 --> 00:39:37.170 tears were dropping on the paper and then the 00:39:37.170 --> 00:39:40.329 funeral took place at Arlington a good friend 00:39:40.670 --> 00:39:46.570 and I drove out there and there's first the chapel 00:39:46.570 --> 00:39:49.710 where they have the service and Jim's sons were 00:39:49.710 --> 00:39:54.409 there and one of them was played on the little 00:39:54.409 --> 00:39:57.070 baby grand piano inside the chapel and what I 00:39:57.070 --> 00:40:00.829 remember is he played How Great Thou Art and 00:40:00.829 --> 00:40:04.010 it was so stirring the way he played it I'd never 00:40:04.010 --> 00:40:06.130 heard it like that before and hair stands up 00:40:06.130 --> 00:40:08.269 just thinking about it and when they carried 00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:14.880 Jim out and put him on the caisson and with the 00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:17.900 riderless horse and then the band and the color 00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:22.079 guard, one of them carrying the MIA flag. There 00:40:22.079 --> 00:40:24.340 were a lot of Vietnam vets from Dearborn, Michigan, 00:40:24.420 --> 00:40:26.780 one out there, my friend and I amongst them. 00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:29.300 And as we walked, I don't know if it was a half 00:40:29.300 --> 00:40:31.559 mile or three quarters of a mile winding through 00:40:31.559 --> 00:40:35.860 the cemetery, gradually the Vietnam vets stopped 00:40:35.860 --> 00:40:38.699 talking. They were in groups. fell into columns 00:40:38.699 --> 00:40:41.940 of two, fell into step, and then silently marched. 00:40:42.900 --> 00:40:45.800 And I just looked around, and I said to my friend, 00:40:45.860 --> 00:40:48.440 I am so proud to be a part of this small band 00:40:48.440 --> 00:40:52.139 of brothers, this small elite group. And as we 00:40:52.139 --> 00:40:54.739 walked, looking at these rows of crosses, it 00:40:54.739 --> 00:40:57.199 was very emotional. Later on, they had the, at 00:40:57.199 --> 00:41:01.119 the cemetery at the gravesite itself, the Air 00:41:01.119 --> 00:41:04.659 Force flew the missing man formation, the four 00:41:04.659 --> 00:41:07.039 planes come flying over and one peels off before 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:10.579 it hits the Arlington and so only the three fly 00:41:10.579 --> 00:41:13.159 over in the missing man formation. Is the missing 00:41:13.159 --> 00:41:15.280 man formation something that you see very often 00:41:15.280 --> 00:41:19.900 there? Yes you do because you know most of the 00:41:19.900 --> 00:41:23.460 marine aviators, naval aviators, air force aviators 00:41:23.460 --> 00:41:26.760 who were combat aviators, their families request 00:41:26.760 --> 00:41:29.760 that quite frequently and it is absolutely Gary 00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:33.079 a stirring stirring thing to see. And it's played 00:41:33.079 --> 00:41:36.460 out so well because you can imagine that it has 00:41:36.460 --> 00:41:41.420 to happen with such technical preciseness the 00:41:41.420 --> 00:41:43.539 way it happens during the course of the funeral. 00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:45.900 But it just absolutely takes your breath away. 00:41:46.360 --> 00:41:49.400 And for the four million visitors that are visiting 00:41:49.400 --> 00:41:52.659 when that type of a funeral takes place, it's 00:41:52.659 --> 00:41:54.559 worth the admission. And there's no price of 00:41:54.559 --> 00:41:57.500 admission. This is a free... visit, isn't that? 00:41:57.679 --> 00:41:59.980 Oh, absolutely. I mean, this cemetery belongs 00:41:59.980 --> 00:42:02.880 to the American people, as does my website. I 00:42:02.880 --> 00:42:06.340 mean, this is an American tradition. This is 00:42:06.340 --> 00:42:08.780 a national cemetery. It belongs to you. It belongs 00:42:08.780 --> 00:42:11.440 to me. It belongs to all of those four million 00:42:11.440 --> 00:42:14.000 people who come and visit, and it belongs to 00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:15.980 the millions of people who come and visit it 00:42:15.980 --> 00:42:19.059 on the website every year. I can't recommend 00:42:19.059 --> 00:42:21.820 your website enough. There is so much in there, 00:42:22.039 --> 00:42:25.550 historical photographs, everything from the How 00:42:25.550 --> 00:42:28.929 do I do it? Who qualifies? To the stories of 00:42:28.929 --> 00:42:32.369 the people? And it's just amazing. I spent hours 00:42:32.369 --> 00:42:34.409 browsing through it getting ready for the show. 00:42:35.769 --> 00:42:39.050 And speaking of that, this segment is almost 00:42:39.050 --> 00:42:42.590 over. You're listening to Michael Patterson, 00:42:42.809 --> 00:42:45.849 who has the most astounding website on Arlington 00:42:45.849 --> 00:42:49.769 National Cemetery. We'll give that address again 00:42:49.769 --> 00:42:52.269 coming out of this next break. In the next break, 00:42:52.489 --> 00:42:54.170 Michael, we're going to be talking about the 00:42:54.170 --> 00:42:57.230 tomb of the unknown soldier, the old guard, and 00:42:57.230 --> 00:42:59.090 I'd like you to give us some of the history of 00:42:59.090 --> 00:43:01.889 that wreath laying. I was honored to lay a wreath 00:43:01.889 --> 00:43:05.389 one memorial day. We're with Michael Patterson 00:43:05.389 --> 00:43:08.650 talking about the Arlington National Cemetery. 00:43:08.710 --> 00:43:11.369 He's got the fabulous website on it. We'll repeat 00:43:11.369 --> 00:43:14.840 it again later. Right now... I'd like to have 00:43:14.840 --> 00:43:17.320 you tell us about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 00:43:17.500 --> 00:43:19.619 the old guard, the changing of the guard. Give 00:43:19.619 --> 00:43:21.940 us a bit of a history on that if you would please. 00:43:22.300 --> 00:43:24.639 I'd be glad to, Gary. Well, you know, the Tomb 00:43:24.639 --> 00:43:27.980 of the Unknowns is the second most visited place 00:43:27.980 --> 00:43:31.019 in Arlington National Cemetery. Most of the visitors 00:43:31.019 --> 00:43:33.860 who come go immediately to John F. Kennedy's 00:43:33.860 --> 00:43:37.460 grave site, but the place to me, the center point 00:43:37.460 --> 00:43:39.880 of the cemetery, is the Tomb of the Unknowns. 00:43:40.039 --> 00:43:44.530 It was established in 1921. when a unknown from 00:43:44.530 --> 00:43:47.769 World War I was selected and interred right behind 00:43:47.769 --> 00:43:51.829 the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington. In 1958, 00:43:52.670 --> 00:43:55.110 he was joined by unknowns from World War II in 00:43:55.110 --> 00:44:00.869 Korea. And then in 1998, there was a Vietnam 00:44:00.869 --> 00:44:04.309 unknown chosen. And I had mentioned that because 00:44:04.309 --> 00:44:06.610 I know that that's near and dear to your heart. 00:44:07.329 --> 00:44:12.950 And eventually, the Vietnam unknown was identified 00:44:12.950 --> 00:44:16.369 and removed from the tomb and that was Air Force 00:44:16.369 --> 00:44:19.469 First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie and they 00:44:19.469 --> 00:44:21.849 were able to identify him through mitochondrial 00:44:21.849 --> 00:44:25.670 DNA and at his family's request he was removed 00:44:25.670 --> 00:44:28.949 and he was brought home to Jefferson Barracks 00:44:28.949 --> 00:44:32.409 National Cemetery near his home in Missouri and 00:44:32.409 --> 00:44:35.630 he was certainly an American hero as well but 00:44:35.630 --> 00:44:38.289 you know he was brought back to his home but 00:44:38.289 --> 00:44:41.519 the Tomb of the Unknowns has been guarded 24 00:44:41.519 --> 00:44:45.139 hours a day, 365 days a year by the third United 00:44:45.139 --> 00:44:48.000 States infantry, who is commonly referred to 00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:51.440 as the old guard. They earned that name in the 00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:58.079 Mexican war back in the 1800s by the way that 00:44:58.079 --> 00:45:03.719 they participated in that war. They are the oldest 00:45:03.719 --> 00:45:06.579 continuous military organization in the United 00:45:06.579 --> 00:45:11.469 States Army. They are the only a military unit 00:45:11.469 --> 00:45:16.670 that's authorized to have bayonets on their rifles 00:45:16.670 --> 00:45:20.670 at all times. But these are guys who are specially 00:45:20.670 --> 00:45:22.809 trained, obviously. They are the honor guard 00:45:22.809 --> 00:45:25.210 of the United States Army. How are they selected? 00:45:25.670 --> 00:45:28.889 They are selected on military bearing, on intelligence, 00:45:29.429 --> 00:45:33.539 on dedication to duty. There's height and weight 00:45:33.539 --> 00:45:36.699 restrictions. They have to have a 28 -inch waist, 00:45:36.699 --> 00:45:40.679 for instance, which I haven't seen since I was 00:45:40.679 --> 00:45:44.179 10 years old. But these guys are out there 24 00:45:44.179 --> 00:45:48.340 hours a day, 365 days a year in rain, in snow, 00:45:48.699 --> 00:45:52.400 in horrible weather, in heat. I understand that 00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:54.820 during a storm a few years ago, the blizzard, 00:45:54.980 --> 00:45:58.179 that was so bad, they were authorized to not 00:45:58.179 --> 00:46:02.619 do their... their guarding and turned it down 00:46:02.619 --> 00:46:04.900 and they stayed out there anyway? Yes, they do. 00:46:05.820 --> 00:46:08.159 If you've been there, Gary, and I know you have, 00:46:08.480 --> 00:46:11.880 there's a little booth off to the side, and when 00:46:11.880 --> 00:46:14.219 the snow piles up, they will retreat to that 00:46:14.219 --> 00:46:17.659 booth and stay at attention while the area that 00:46:17.659 --> 00:46:19.780 they march on is cleaned, and then they resume 00:46:19.780 --> 00:46:23.679 their march. They are the most dedicated, wonderful 00:46:23.679 --> 00:46:26.179 young men and women. There have been three tomb 00:46:26.179 --> 00:46:28.880 guards who are females that you'll never know. 00:46:29.480 --> 00:46:34.139 And as far as the tomb itself, it's having some 00:46:34.139 --> 00:46:36.239 issues right now because of some cracks that 00:46:36.239 --> 00:46:39.239 have formed. And there are discussions underway 00:46:39.239 --> 00:46:42.239 whether the tomb should be replaced, at least 00:46:42.239 --> 00:46:44.760 decap the top of it that we're all familiar with, 00:46:45.460 --> 00:46:47.480 or whether it should be repaired. And there have 00:46:47.480 --> 00:46:49.719 been issues over the years where it has been 00:46:49.719 --> 00:46:52.420 attempted to repair it. I'm glad they're not 00:46:52.420 --> 00:46:54.460 just jumping into it and doing something that 00:46:54.460 --> 00:46:56.900 they're... I'm glad they're not either. Congress 00:46:56.900 --> 00:46:59.500 has stuck... stuck their their their hand into 00:46:59.500 --> 00:47:01.880 it and said listen this this you know sit back 00:47:01.880 --> 00:47:04.679 on this research this a little bit well i think 00:47:04.679 --> 00:47:06.480 there there's a couple of very poignant things 00:47:06.480 --> 00:47:10.019 about the two men one is the inscription which 00:47:10.019 --> 00:47:11.800 sits on the front of it which i think is pretty 00:47:11.800 --> 00:47:14.039 familiar to all of our veterans friends out there 00:47:14.039 --> 00:47:16.760 and it says merely here rest in honor of glory 00:47:16.760 --> 00:47:19.860 an american soldier known but to god and that 00:47:19.860 --> 00:47:22.699 is the truth i mean this this is simply an american 00:47:22.699 --> 00:47:26.179 soldier and you know whether Like yourself, if 00:47:26.179 --> 00:47:29.579 you're a CB, or you're a sailor, or a Marine, 00:47:30.380 --> 00:47:33.079 or a Coast Guardsman, or an Airman, you know, 00:47:33.199 --> 00:47:35.420 to be called an American soldier is certainly 00:47:35.420 --> 00:47:39.280 something that you can be proud of. And if I 00:47:39.280 --> 00:47:41.280 could, just for a second, I'd like to read to 00:47:41.280 --> 00:47:45.260 you the Sentinel's Creed, if I could. Please 00:47:45.260 --> 00:47:47.639 do. And it says, my dedication to this sacred 00:47:47.639 --> 00:47:51.300 duty is total and wholehearted. In the responsibility 00:47:51.300 --> 00:47:54.349 bestowed on me, never will I falter. With the 00:47:54.349 --> 00:47:57.650 dignity and perseverance, my standard will remain 00:47:57.650 --> 00:48:00.570 perfection. Through the years of diligence and 00:48:00.570 --> 00:48:02.690 praise and the discomfort of the elements, I 00:48:02.690 --> 00:48:05.510 will walk my tour in humble reverence to the 00:48:05.510 --> 00:48:08.570 best of my ability. It is he who commands the 00:48:08.570 --> 00:48:11.969 respect I protect, his bravery that made us so 00:48:11.969 --> 00:48:14.949 proud. Surrounded by well -meaning crowds by 00:48:14.949 --> 00:48:17.769 day, alone in the thoughtful peace of night, 00:48:18.230 --> 00:48:20.829 this soldier will, in honored glory, rest under 00:48:20.829 --> 00:48:24.059 my eternal vigilance. And let me tell you what 00:48:24.059 --> 00:48:27.099 these guys take that so seriously This is an 00:48:27.099 --> 00:48:30.820 oath they all take they all take and one of the 00:48:30.820 --> 00:48:37.019 most cherished Awards that is an army soldier 00:48:37.019 --> 00:48:40.860 you can you can earn is the honor guard badge 00:48:40.860 --> 00:48:45.400 and You know you have to pass some very stringent 00:48:45.400 --> 00:48:47.840 requirements to earn that and not even all of 00:48:47.840 --> 00:48:50.559 the old guard guys who guard the tomb earn that 00:48:51.510 --> 00:48:53.969 You have to be outstanding amongst the outstanding. 00:48:54.349 --> 00:48:56.690 You absolutely have to be. Once you earn that, 00:48:56.809 --> 00:48:59.889 you can wear that on your uniform no matter where 00:48:59.889 --> 00:49:03.030 you go or whatever assignment you go to after 00:49:03.030 --> 00:49:06.349 you've served at the tomb. It's very special. 00:49:07.710 --> 00:49:09.849 If you folks out there have not seen the changing 00:49:09.849 --> 00:49:11.989 of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, 00:49:12.210 --> 00:49:15.369 that's something you must do before you leave 00:49:15.369 --> 00:49:19.219 this planet Earth. the uh... the people there 00:49:19.219 --> 00:49:21.900 you look at these young people and you say this 00:49:21.900 --> 00:49:24.360 country is good this country is good i don't 00:49:24.360 --> 00:49:26.099 care what anybody said if i could throw sort 00:49:26.099 --> 00:49:28.480 of a a semi -political thing and you know from 00:49:28.480 --> 00:49:32.239 what most michelle obama said how could you look 00:49:32.239 --> 00:49:35.360 at that and not be proud to be an american impossible 00:49:35.360 --> 00:49:38.739 impossible indeed and and so the uh... when it 00:49:38.739 --> 00:49:40.920 when it comes to laying the wreath who's qualified 00:49:40.920 --> 00:49:42.980 to lay the wreath we've got to use just a little 00:49:42.980 --> 00:49:46.420 over a minute left well you know Obviously any 00:49:46.420 --> 00:49:50.400 military group, veterans groups, on the website 00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:52.880 I have a link where you can get information on 00:49:52.880 --> 00:49:55.820 that. You can write in on your group's letterhead 00:49:55.820 --> 00:49:57.920 and, you know, request a date. But, you know, 00:49:57.920 --> 00:49:59.960 you should request a couple of dates because, 00:49:59.960 --> 00:50:03.679 you know, it is quite a popular thing. But you'll 00:50:03.679 --> 00:50:07.619 send in to the cemetery. There's people who handle 00:50:07.619 --> 00:50:10.199 requests and do the scheduling. And that's on 00:50:10.199 --> 00:50:12.400 your website, correct? It absolutely is. There's 00:50:12.400 --> 00:50:15.730 a link right to it on the front page. As I mentioned 00:50:15.730 --> 00:50:19.530 earlier that my Vietnam Veterans of America chapter, 00:50:20.070 --> 00:50:22.309 one of the members wrote in, requested that, 00:50:22.550 --> 00:50:24.969 and as the president that year, I had the honor 00:50:24.969 --> 00:50:30.050 of laying the wreath. Now, we've come to the 00:50:30.050 --> 00:50:32.150 end of the show, Michael. I can't believe it. 00:50:32.489 --> 00:50:34.530 I can't either, Gary. It's been really a pleasure. 00:50:34.849 --> 00:50:37.489 Thank you so much for being on. We want to thank 00:50:37.489 --> 00:50:54.300 you for listening in on Veterans Radio. Alright, 00:50:54.559 --> 00:50:56.980 some of you may be familiar with that tune. That 00:50:56.980 --> 00:50:59.019 is the song, Harlington, and we're going to go 00:50:59.019 --> 00:51:01.840 out on that today. But I did want to just remind 00:51:01.840 --> 00:51:05.159 everybody that Memorial Day is to remember those 00:51:05.159 --> 00:51:07.860 men and women who did pay the ultimate price 00:51:07.860 --> 00:51:11.440 during their time in service. And so I did want 00:51:11.440 --> 00:51:14.059 to mention this little comment that someone sent 00:51:14.059 --> 00:51:17.119 me today that said that this Memorial Day, we 00:51:17.119 --> 00:51:19.360 remember those who sacrificed their lives for 00:51:19.360 --> 00:51:21.630 our freedom. Our thoughts and prayers are with 00:51:21.630 --> 00:51:24.489 all of those who are grieving. May we, as Abraham 00:51:24.489 --> 00:51:27.090 Lincoln said at Gettysburg, highly resolve that 00:51:27.090 --> 00:51:29.590 these dead shall not have died in vain, that 00:51:29.590 --> 00:51:32.670 this nation under God shall have a new birth 00:51:32.670 --> 00:51:35.389 of freedom and the government of the people by 00:51:35.389 --> 00:51:38.369 the people for the people shall not perish from 00:51:38.369 --> 00:51:41.789 this earth. And so we're going to end up playing 00:51:41.789 --> 00:51:44.670 the song Arlington by Trace Atkins. And I want 00:51:44.670 --> 00:51:47.099 to thank everybody for listening today. If you 00:51:47.099 --> 00:51:49.500 like the program, please send us a comment. Let 00:51:49.500 --> 00:51:51.599 us know exactly what you thought of the program, 00:51:51.860 --> 00:51:53.619 what you would like us to cover in the future. 00:51:53.820 --> 00:51:55.639 I think that that's what's really important to 00:51:55.639 --> 00:51:59.920 you. So we will go down to that song and we play 00:51:59.920 --> 00:52:01.639 the song and then we're going to end up with 00:52:01.639 --> 00:52:05.420 taps. So until next week, you are dismissed. 00:52:21.099 --> 00:52:25.099 I never thought that this is where I'd settle 00:52:25.099 --> 00:52:31.340 down I thought I'd die an old man back in my 00:52:31.340 --> 00:52:36.960 hometown They gave me this plot of land Me and 00:52:36.960 --> 00:52:43.619 some other men For a job well done There's a 00:52:43.619 --> 00:52:47.599 big white house sits on a hill just up the road 00:52:49.869 --> 00:52:53.170 The man inside he cried the day they brought 00:52:53.170 --> 00:52:59.429 me home They folded up a flag and told my mom 00:52:59.429 --> 00:53:05.869 and dad We're proud of your son And I'm proud 00:53:05.869 --> 00:53:11.510 to be on this peaceful piece of property I'm 00:53:11.510 --> 00:53:15.769 on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company 00:53:17.579 --> 00:53:21.320 I'm thankful for those thankful for the things 00:53:21.320 --> 00:53:27.260 I've done I can rest in peace I'm one of the 00:53:27.260 --> 00:53:37.320 chosen ones I made it to Arlington I remember 00:53:37.320 --> 00:53:43.429 daddy brought me here when I was eight We searched 00:53:43.429 --> 00:53:48.030 all day to find out where my granddad lay And 00:53:48.030 --> 00:53:52.190 when we finally found that cross He said, son, 00:53:52.349 --> 00:53:59.070 this is what it cost To keep us free Now here 00:53:59.070 --> 00:54:05.849 I am a thousand stones away from him He recognized 00:54:05.849 --> 00:54:14.480 me on the first day I came in When he clicked 00:54:14.480 --> 00:54:21.539 his heels and saluted me And I'm proud to be 00:54:21.539 --> 00:54:27.300 on this peaceful piece of property I'm on sacred 00:54:27.300 --> 00:54:33.139 ground and I'm in the best of company And I'm 00:54:33.139 --> 00:54:37.019 thankful for those thankful for the things I've 00:54:37.019 --> 00:54:43.750 done I can rest in peace of the chosen ones, 00:54:44.489 --> 00:54:54.489 I made it to Arlington. And every time I hear 00:54:54.489 --> 00:54:59.610 twenty -one guns, I know they brought another 00:55:25.610 --> 00:55:30.590 We can rest in peace, as we are the chosen ones 00:55:30.590 --> 00:55:41.869 We made it to Arlington Yeah, dust to dust, don't 00:55:41.869 --> 00:55:50.070 cry for us We made it to Arlington