Bumper,
I'm sorry, but I couldn't read that one.
I tried, but on the second page, I could see where it was going. Or, at least I think I could.
While serving as a gun captain on the ship in my avatar, the USS Newport News, I was asked to serve as a "special escort" for a shipmate. I don't know about other branches, but when a sailor dies in the line of duty, the family can request that a friend escort the body home, rather than a stranger.
So, I've stood at the head of a casket and presented a folded flag to a mother who'd lost her son. And I've spoken those words.
Believe me, returning to that war was far easier than leaving it, to take that young man home.
Maybe I was wrong about thinking I knew where that article was going. But I think some memories should just be left at rest.
For those who've not had such an experience, I do hope you understand why I don't want to re-live any of it. But I also hope that the article is able to teach you something. I do believe you can learn from the experience of others, without having to go through the experience yourself.
It's often better that way.
mm