I took this photo this very morning in Laurel, Nebraska, at the funeral of a veteran who was murdered last week in his home along with his wife and grown, disabled daughter. Over thirty of us American Legion Riders showed up today for this three-person funeral.
I’ve stood flag lines for many veteran funerals in the nine years that I’ve been a Legion Rider, but this is the first time I ever stood one for a man who was senselessly murdered in his home alongside his wife and daughter. It felt different. It felt very wrong.
If you ever travel across northern Nebraska on Highway 20, you will see that it is also called the Medal of Honor Highway — two years ago Nebraska became one of five states that call Highway 20 this as it runs from Oregon to Massachusetts. The man who was murdered in Laurel is largely responsible for doing the work to get it called that in Nebraska. He also served as the Nebraska State Commander of the American Legion from 2000-2001.
A man who served his country with honor in the Army and then continued to serve it for decades after that in the American Legion died without honor in his own home a little over a week ago. However, for men and women like him who have served our country, people like me give him whatever honor we can at his funeral by holding an American flag prior to the funeral and then at the cemetery.
It’s not much really — a small token when you think about it, but that token holds significant meaning to the families of the veterans who have died. We are repeatedly thanked by family and friends as they pass us going into the church, and people take lots of photos of us as we stand there holding our flags. I’ve been brought to tears on more than one occasion by the tearful thanks of a funeral attendee, but they fail to understand that I don’t need to be thanked — instead, by holding that flag I’m thanking their fallen veteran for his or her service.
I became an American Legion Rider because my father served in the Air Force for 20 years. Thus, I am eligible to be an Auxiliary member. However, I’m not interested in that part of the Legion family, but I have to be a member of that before I can become a Legion Rider. You must either be in the Legion, the Auxiliary, or the Sons first before you can also join the Riders.
You also have to have a motorcycle or be the spouse or partner of a Rider who has one that you are the passenger on. I have my own bike, as you probably know by now.
In case you’ve forgotten, here’s my baby:
There is more to being a Legion Rider than standing flag lines at funerals, but that does tend to be the main thing. We also escort veterans to places, represent the Legion in parades, visit veterans for various reasons, and we raise money for veteran causes.
Normally, at a veteran’s funeral, I am a bit sad at the loss of another vet, but today I am angry. Even though it was sweltering hot, and I had other things I should have been doing, I rode 65 miles and stood for an hour holding a flag for a man I’ve never met because he deserved our respect. Thirty other Riders from across the state agreed with me because that was one of the largest turnouts I’ve seen in a while.
I wrote the following poem about standing a flag line a few years ago. It’s included in the back of my novel called “Ticker Tape,” which is a story about a Vietnam Veteran, and I’ve read it a few times including at a Memorial Day service in Omaha this past May. I think it sums up both the reasons we stand flag lines and how it feels to do so.
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Thanks. I will plan for a more upbeat topic next week.
Tammy Marshall
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