Goodbye to a Hero...

Monday we attended the funeral for our friend and hero Jim Priestap. It was held at the armory in Kingsford. There were over 1,000 people who viewed his body on Sunday and then at least that many, if not more who attended the funeral. It was standing room only. Mark and I did sit though. I had never been to a military funeral before. I think the most touching thing was when the guard held up the flag that had been laying on his casket, held it up in front of the casket so his parents and wife and children could say a final good-bye in private before they closed the casket. Of course I was in tears most of the time. They played the song by Toby Keith, "American Soldier". They also played "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw and his nephew sang "You Raise Me Up". The funeral was two hours long and then they went to the cemetary. Mark and I didn't go to the cemetary because he needed to get back to work so we grabbed lunch and he took me home.

I have such mixed emotions about the war in Iraq. In the beginning I supported it, but I really don't know if there is anything else we can do but attend more funerals.

The best thing we found out at the funeral is that Jim was a born again Christian and he will be waiting for us all in Heaven.

Pray for the Priestap family and all of the families that have lost loved ones to this war.

R