Today was a long day. We finally had a couple of funerals that were delayed by the Chinese commie crud. One was for my wife’s grandfather who made it to the ripe old age of 95 and the second was for one of his sons, who lived to his early seventies.
The service for both of them was at Camp Butler National Cemetery. While there was a lot of paperwork involved, the services went off very well. Camp Butler is extremely well maintained.
Grandpa was in WW2 in India (I hope to someday offer his letters back home on this blog), and his son was in Korea. Both were cremated a few months ago. The government allows free plots for their ashes since they were vets, along with space for spouses later to join them. Also present today were two fine men from the DoD. From the uniforms they appeared to be active Army. They gave salutes to grandma (the son had no wife) and also presented the flags to her after folding them. After the services, one of them stood watch until the last of the guests drove away.
Some locals from the Sangamon County Veterans were there. These gentlemen were volunteers and show up at Camp Butler for military funerals. They gave the gun salute (three shots from three rifles, after which they presented the shells to grandma) and had a man play taps. They also did a very short ceremony before the preacher did his deal. After they were done, these gentlemen beat feet quickly, and I wasn’t able to give them the tip – I will make a charitable donation to them later this week. It was very nice.
As I mentioned previously, there was ample paperwork involved to get all of this arranged with the department of Veterans Affairs, but it did get done, and in a nice and proper way.
Condolences, and respects, Dan from Madison. I wasn’t sure where Camp Butler was, but now I know. There’s a discreet mention of a Confederate memorial on the website, and I wonder if that has attracted any attention locally. (The CBI is a very interesting and neglected theater of US operations in WWII–I do hope you’ll post some things.)
Sherman was commander here in late 1862, and one of my prized possessions is a copy of the fantastic map his engineers Pitzman and Frick made of Memphis and environs (LC Map Sherman 168).
Condolences. Glad to hear that things were handled well.
My two great uncles enlisted in the 55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry from LaSalle. They were part of a group known as “The LaSalle Boys.” One is buried in a VA plot in LaSalle and the other is buried in Memphis in a national cemetery as an “unknown.” The day he was buried in 1863 it rained and the names were washed off the caskets. Someday I might make it to the cemetery to see if I can find his grave by date of death and unit.
My brother (Army, Air Force reserve) was buried at Camp Butler in 1972. The Air Force sent an honor guard for the salute.It was the most moving funeral I have been to.
Camp Butler is, like most vet cemeteries, actually beautiful. The grounds are kept groomed and the rows of headstones are impressive.
I can’t say I had fun there, however, the veterans admin. does a great job.
There is a seperate plot where the Confederates are buried and it is also kept well.
@Cousin Eddie – I don’t really know for sure, but knowing the people in that region of IL as I do, I would highly doubt there has been any activity re the Confederate memorial unless it came from the leftists now running the federal govt. I would have checked it out yesterday if I had time but other matters were pressing, as you can imagine.
Speaking of “our” government, from Chernenko Joe last night:
“Our Constitution opens with the words, “We the People”. It’s time we remembered that We the People are the government. You and I.”
Who’s he talking to? If it’s the people in that room, then that’s just insane. If it’s the people watching on TV (was anyone watching on TV), then the next sentence makes zero sense:
“Not some force in a distant capital. Not some powerful force we have no control over. It’s us. It’s “We the people.””
I heard yesterday that Trump’s planning on holding rallies this summer. Strange times are ahead, that’s for sure…
“We the people”….wonder if Joe ever heard of the Agency Problem?
“The men whom the people ought to choose to represent them are too busy to take the jobs. But the politician is waiting for it. He’s the pestilence of modern times. What we should try to do is make politics as local as possible. Keep the politicians near enough to kick them. The villagers who met under the village tree could also hang their politicians from the tree. It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.” -GKC
First draft of the speech Beijing Biden* read off the teleprompter to an audience significantly smaller than the “80 million” who “voted” for him:
“Not some force in a distant capital. Not some powerful force we have no control over. It’s us, my loyal Democrat insiders. It’s “We the special people who count the votes.””
Good editorial control is key to running a kleptocracy on behalf of the Chinese, or the Ukrainians, or whoever happens to be offering more than 10% this week.
No problem, @Dan– it was not-quite-idle curiosity, is all, and not a research assignment!
Couldn’t watch Preztalk last night, not that I ever watched much of them before. Trump-haters said “Not My President.” I’m saying “Not My Government.”
e pleb nista, also the dystopia of woody allen’s sleepers
Thank you for this information. My 96-year-old dad, a D-Day+3 vet, died in December. He was cremated and my mother and siblings have gone back on forth about spreading his ashes. We didn’t know about the cremation plots for vets.
Grandpa was in WW2 in India (I hope to someday offer his letters back home on this blog)
My father was stationed in Assam, in NE India during WW2. He was in the Meteorological Service helping get supply planes over the Himalayas to China. India fascinated him. We saw his India slides every year- probably more then once some years. I get the impression that he had a rather pleasant WW2 experience.
@CapitalistRoader – you will have some paperwork to do if you end up going the route of a military cemetery, but it is well worth it imho.