Today I had the honor to accompany my oldest son Hunter to the Memorial service for his science teacher's Fallen Son Sgt Sean Collins. We woke up to a light snow dusting the ground & frigid temperatures. We had been told to expect some small groups of protesters outside the church so we grabbed our small American Flags & gloves just in case we needed to stand outside to shield the family. I was very happy to see the sun pop out & bright clear skies appear about thirty minutes before the family arrived. The Patriot Guard Riders stood at the entrance to the church with flags to greet all who entered. I was also happy to report that said protesters never showed up & we went inside to sit with many of Sean's friends, family, & military through out the community.
The Chaplain who spoke at the service did a great job relating Christ's birth & the Christmas story to Sean's life. They did a wonderful Mass which I had never witnessed for him along with the sacrament.After the formal religious portion his older brother spoke about Sean & his ability to test each of his siblings patience. But also his uncanny tenderness & compassion that he possessed.He went on to speak of how Sean knew from a young age he wanted to be in the Army & how he chose to be Infantry even though he had many options. How his blogs while deployed could be harsh about certain aspects of the Army life. But he wouldn't tolerate anyone's opinion if they weren't Infantry either, so you had to watch what you said. I know Hunter & I left feeling as though we knew a little more about this young man's life & sacrifice he made.I am glad that I was able to go & pay my respects with my son to another of our Fallen Heroes.
http://freedomremembered.com/index.php/cpl-sean-m-collins/
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