I just went outside to get my mail at the exact moment formations of military jets flew over the houses, group after group after group of them just as the sun is beginning to set. My entire body was instantly covered with goosebumps and tears came to my eyes. As many of you know, I now live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where at the Ford Museum the final farewell and burial is taking place of President Ford this very moment. I've been busy with alot of things this afternoon and somehow it had slipped my mind as to timing, but I came in and turned on the TV and they were taking the flag off his coffin, handing it to VP Cheney who then presented it to Betty Ford and I saw the fly by as they reached downtown on tv. What I just heard is that they are F15's from Shaw AirForce Base in South Carolina. Seeing them go into the missing man formation, a tribute to a former President, was beyond words. You know, sometimes we do not seem to be all that much a patriotic country these days, what with cynicism and anti-war sentiments raging (and I do not agree with it myself) - but for you to see this town with all the flags half staff and what has been reported as over 60,000 filing through the Ford Museum to pay their respects over the last day, military helicopters parked in the fields all around the National Guard Armory which is just around the corner practically from me and which my dad and I drove by today - it does make me, at least, proud to be an American. This was a very powerful and emotional experience for me, totally taking me unawares.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing this experience on your blog. It would have given me goosebumps, too.
Interestingly enough a local newspaper comumnist had a piece in todays' paper echoing my words quite closely as to the goosebumps and tears. It did move me greatly - but then I'm prone to tears these days. Yet it was an incredible time in history in little GR these past days.
Post a Comment