Funeral Detail - 4 Jan 06

Back on the detail again

Published on January 11, 2006 By chiprj In Blogging

I'm back on the funeral detail again. This time it will run from Jan-Feb. We started practicing with the outgoing team during the holiday break, or as TRADOC likes to call it, Exodus. It was a pretty busy couple of week for the detail.

The overall NCOIC for the detail has not done the detail before, so she wanted to get with the three assistant NCOICs beforehand. We've all done it before, so it was mostly just a matter of getting her up on what all goes on. She even attended a funeral during the last week of the last team's time period so she could see how funerals went without being in charge.

We found out about the funeral on a fairly short notice, but part of that had to do with the holiday season, I'm sure. We had a practice on 3 Jan and made arrangements for the funeral on the 4th. The overall NCOIC had not yet had the chance to see or do a two man funeral but wanted to. The family for this funeral requested a Marine to be present as their family member had been a Marine. So, we decided that we'd take a Marine and I'd go along with the NCOIC. We decided that I would play the bugle and they would both go forward to render honors. Then the NCOIC would present the flag with the Marine next to her.

We met early the next day and made our way to Salinas. I'd never been to this particular chapel before but we found it fairly easily. When we got inside, we we introduced to the widow and then shown to a small office where we could wait until our part of the ceremony. It was a short service and we were soon in the chapel. I took a position at the back of the chapel and waited for the NCOIC and the Marine to march to the front and salute. I then hit the button and played a perfect Taps. The NCOIC had a little trouble with the line but it wasn't noticeable to anyone but me, I think. I waited for them to make their way to the back of the chapel and followed them back to our waiting room. I packed up the bugle and we were on our way.

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Comments

Dr Guy

on Jan 11, 2006

One of the toughest duty calls there is! Thank from the families that you help.

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