TEXAS Really does it RIGHT!!!

cars · Post by **cars** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:53 pm

Posting this through teary eyes:

Just recieved this email from a friend!!

In Texas we really do pull off the road and stop for funerals......nobody moves until the last car has gone by.

What follows is a message from Vicki Pierce about her nephew James' funeral (he was serving our country in Iraq):

There is a lot to be said for growing up in a small town in Texas. The service itself was impressive with wonderful flowers and sprays, a portrait of James, his uniform and boots, his awards and ribbons. There was lots of military brass and an eloquent Baptist preacher. The church was filled to capacitity, and spilling out into the parking lot.

However, the most incredible thing was what happened following the service on the way to the cemetery. We went to our cars and drove to the cemetery escorted by at least 10 police cars with lights flashing and some other emergency vehicles, with Texas Rangers handling traffic. Everyone on the road who was not in the procession, pulled over, got out of their cars, and stood silently and respectfully, some put their hands over their hearts.

When we turned off the highway suddenly there were teenage boys along both sides of the street about every 20! feet or so, all holding large American flags on long flag poles, and again with their hands on their hearts. We thought at first it was the Boy Scouts or 4H club or something, but it continued . for two and a half miles. Hundreds of young people, standing silently on the side of the road with flags. At one point we passed an elementary school, and all the children were outside, shoulder to shoulder holding flags . kindergartners, handicapped, teachers, staff, everyone. Some held signs of love and support. Then came teenage girls and younger boys, all holding flag! s. Then adults. Then families. All standing silently on the side of the road. No one spoke, not even the very young children.

The military presence..at least two generals, a fist full of colonels, and representatives from every branch of the service, plus the color guard who attended James, and some who served with him . was very impressive and respectful, but the love and pride from this community who had lost one of their own was the most amazing thing I've ever been privileged to witness.

I've attached some pictures, some are blurry (we were moving), but you can get a small idea of what this was like. Thanks so much for all the prayers and support."

These photos are awesome!

Attached files

Post by **spot** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:18 pm

Here's a bit of additional context, Cars, I think it adds to the original post to know some of the extra details.

Life outside the big cities has a lot of attraction.U.S. Army Spc. James M. Kiehl of Comfort, Texas, was killed in action in Iraq on 23 March 2003 when his convoy was attacked near al-Nasiriyah. James had been assigned to a group of mechanics, cooks, and supply clerks from the 507th Maintenance Company out of Fort Bliss, Texas, and his team was ambushed while on their way to repair computers on a Patriot missile launcher. The 22-year-old soldier left behind a wife who was due to give birth to the couple's first child within the next few weeks.

When the Army first listed James as missing in action, his friends in Comfort (a small Texas town of about 1,200 residents) created an improvised memorial to him which grew daily through additions and messages from friends, residents, and visitors. Since James had stated before he left for Iraq that he did not wish to be buried in a military cemetery, after his parents learned of his death they obtained a plot for him at the private Center Point Cemetery near their home.

On the day of James' funeral, much of the population of Comfort — many of them bearing U.S. flags — turned out to line the route of his funeral procession in a moving display of community support for a lost friend and a fallen soldier. The images were captured by James' 17-year-old cousin, Amy Pierce, and the description accompanying them was penned by his aunt, Vicki Pierce.

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:27 pm

Those pics brought a lump to my throat,:-1

His family must have been very proud.

Indian Princess · Post by **Indian Princess** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:31 pm

i AGREE

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:36 pm

Makes Me [proud To Say I Am A Born And Bred Texan!!!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:03 pm

There is so much horror and tragedy in the world now, that to see such support and respect is truly humbling and moving.

Thankyou Cars for sharing this, I cried all the way through it. :-1 :yh_hugs :yh_flower :yh_flower

hoxtonchris · Post by **hoxtonchris** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:10 pm

so touching,and of course sad,my dad when i was a boy used to insist we remove our hats for a passing funeral even when raining hard.it has made me sad ,i remember he used to tell of his days in ww2 he was in burma ,he spent 9 years in all 2 before the war,end ended up one of the forgotten few fighting the japs in the jungles of burmah.when he came home they even took his souveneirs off him(british soldiers wernt allowed)in his final days he was put in a geriatric ward even tho hed suffered a stroke and still had 80%of his faculties left,,,maggie thatcher had closed all the long term general sick wards to save money.yes texas does it right,,,AMERICA always did right by its heroes ,,unlike this bloodey country..sorry ime not normaly unpatriotic ,,,exept when it comes to how we repay our heroes,,grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr PS thanks for that posting

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:17 pm

Proud to be a Texan! :-4

but then again I was taught to always pull over to the shoulder of the road for a funeral procession, do ya'll not do that anywhere else?

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:27 pm

Sheryl;562896 wrote: Proud to be a Texan! :-4

but then again I was taught to always pull over to the shoulder of the road for a funeral procession, do ya'll not do that anywhere else?

we do it in georgia sheryl......out of respect for the deceased and the family

hoxtonchris · Post by **hoxtonchris** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:33 am

older generations in england stop in respect ,but the younguns?they dont even notice.as in carolleys thread "what has happened to thics country"our standards have got undernath a snakes belly whilst wearing a top hat!

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:33 am

Chilled me right to the bone.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:48 am

Comfort's not too far from San Antonio. I work with several of her residents. Small-town America at its best! :yh_flag

Tater Tazz · Post by **Tater Tazz** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:52 am

Should be that way, they deserve the respect.

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:26 am

:-1

that was awesome Cars! :-6

Like Acc. said we're not too far from Comfort.

The people are what make Texas an awesome place to live. :-6

Imladris · Post by **Imladris** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:40 am

You don't get that much respect for funerals in this country and it's really shameful. It's rare to see someone remove a hat, usually older men that do although one young lad did the other day. Sometimes people on foot stop and wait very rarely anyone in a car. Frequently other vehicles speed up to get in front of a cortege or even overtake and split up the cortege.

We did the funeral recently for a young man who was killed in Iraq in a helicoter crash. The military turnout was as always excellent, the general public respectful as they should be.

Years ago a very dear friend who was a local firefighter died and the path to the church was lined with firefigthers, police and ambulance personal. His coffin was carried on a vintage fire engine, hubby walked in front all the way through town, it brought the town to a standstill and a police motorcyclist escorted the cortege to the crematorium 12 miles away stopping all traffic as he went. It was a wonderful send off for a wonderful man.