Our the past few months, we've learned a lot about Bud - stuff some of us never knew.
- Bud was a 2ND generation volunteer fire fighter which makes my husband a 4TH generation fire fighter.
- Bud's cargo ship was torpedoed off the coast of Cuba during WWII on June 6, 1942 by a German submarine. He & several other crew members survived in lifeboats for 5 days.
- Bud passed away almost 67 years to the day of his ship being torpedoed (June 6, 1942 - June 5, 2009).
- As much as Bud was a cranky old man, he was highly respected among his fire fighting peers.
Besides having 2 grandsons, Bud was blessed with 4 great grandchildren: Jason, Chelsea, Justin & Jaclyn. Because Jay & Jackie live in NJ, they got to visit him a lot more often & were devastated when he passed away. Not that my kids weren't affected, but it was a little surreal for them. Jason, 11, even gave a eulogy. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
My one regret was that I didn't pack my camera. Gruesome, I know. Not that I wanted a picture of his body in the casket, but the graveside service was beautiful.
The US Navy sent 3 officers to play taps & fold the flag. I am not a fan of Obama, but it touched my heart to hear condolences from him. Bagpipes played 'Amazing Grace' in the background as the fire fighters said their final farewell. As each fire fighter saluted, they removed their right glove & placed it on the coffin. The bagpipers removed the reed from their pipes & placed those with the gloves. Then family & friends each placed a red rose.
My simple words cannot convey the beauty of the moment. It made me proud to be a part of this family.Many blessings,
Allison
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