The last salute
The honor guard maintains a stiff-backed sentinel position.
They cry quietly because they were brothers through the struggle.
One of their own will be buried there, receiving the highest respect and tribute possible.
His wife takes her spot and wipes away her tears as his family gathers close by.
Soldiers salute at the front, and the coffin is covered in the American flag's colors.
The bravery with which he served, defending our freedoms he fought to maintain, makes the red stripes even more intense.
His commitment to duty makes the white appear more pure, and he received a bronze star despite the enemy's brutality.
Because of his passion for the flag and all that it stood for, the blue field and stars reflect our wonderful nation and our ideals, which he protected.
The firing party starts shooting a 21-gun salute in synchrony because of the hero he personified.
Then the melody of Taps starts to play on this sacred place.
No one in this room can keep a dry eye as the emotions take over.
The somber honor bell sounds, and pride wells up in her heart.
Her lips tremble as she struggles to contain her tears as the flag is folded for the last time and set in her lap.
"Ma'am, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to our nation," the soldier says to the woman.
Two soldiers present a final salute to this man who once stood so proudly as the last prayer is said and he is lowered into the earth.
