Old friend became an American hero
Tall and lanky, he ambled rather than walked. His glasses insisted on sliding down to the end of his snub nose and his ears stuck out. He had a fine sense of humor, and we all liked him for his casual look at life.
Today’s teens would label him a nerd and miss the sweetness of this guy, his likability, and might not consider the fine man he would become.
We graduated from high school. Our class split, divided and moved on. I saw him at an early class reunion. Many years passed before I saw him again.
My doorbell rang one autumn day in 1992. When I opened the door I was amazed to see this mature, upright and deeply tanned man standing in front of me grinning. We started chatting, and he told me he had been in Desert Storm. We were about 54 years old, and I wondered how in the world he went to Kuwait at his age.
He told me he had three children, and we laughed about the challenges of raising them. He had signed up with the National Guard in high school and stayed in. It was clear he was devoted to the Guard. He told me he had had two heart attacks: one at the age of 44 and another when he was 48.
The National Guard wanted to cut him loose from further duty because of his health. That was not his plan by any means. Driven by his determination to serve his country, he climbed to the top to convince the Guard that he still had a lot to offer. He did not want a free pass. His persistence paid off, and he continued to serve.
He served in Panama, Bosnia, Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He served well. Some of those places could have separated him from his life but they did not. In his 70s, he was diagnosed with cancer and died very quickly.
Friends and family drove to Holly, Michigan, to walk in drizzling rain and chilly air to a pavilion at the Great Lakes National Cemetery to wish him safe journey.
A remarkable silence was maintained as an American flag was unfolded, then refolded into that telling triangle. We watched as officers carefully creased the corners of the folded flag and then, kneeling, solemnly presented it to his widow. A dear friend eulogized him briefly. It was time-restricted by the fact that there were a total of 29 services being held that day at this military cemetery.
At the end of his service, a family member played a stylized-New Orleans rendition of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.”
Lines and lines of stones engraved with names, ranks and dates stand at attention like the men and women who rest below them once did. There is a columbarium for the cremains of others.
This cemetery sits out in the country in peace, beauty and silence to hold dear brave Americans in their final rest. Birds dip and soar over the grasses. Some of them head to their nests. Others land near the ponds. It is unbelievably quiet even with vehicles moving into and out of the drives.
We arrived in rain and left in rain but also left with warmth knowing that for a bit of time in our lives, we knew this amazing man whose passion for his country was vast. Seeing all those stones reminded us of the courage of all the men and women who leave their families to ensure the safety of ours. They face what they have to in order to secure democracy.
We must never take our freedom for granted. It is a fragile and beautiful thing to be honored and protected. Please hold it carefully and gently in your hands and hearts.
Susan Keezer lives in Adrian. Send your good news to her at Lenaweesmiles@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Susan Keezer: Old friend became an American hero
