Faulkner
06-22-2013, 02:33 PM
My friend and neighbor, Bob, passed away. Some may recall that I posted about Bob giving me a USGI 1911A1 (link below).
http://www.gunsnet.net/showthread.php?19292-Faulkner-scores-WWII-1911A1
I believe that Bob, a Korean War veteran, was typical of many veterans of his generation. Typical in that they went when they were called, they did their duty, many experianced horrific things. When they came home, they put the war behind them best they could and helped build and support the largest peacetime economic expansion in our country's history.
I really enjoyed Bob's companionship. He went rabbit hunting with my son and I few weeks back and he even bagged a couple of cottontails with his Winchester Model 42 .410 pump, but mostly we watched my son work the beagles and we walked and talked and enjoyed the warm sun as it came up on that cold, frosty morning. Bob seldom talked about the war, but he made the comment on this morning that he had never been so cold as he was at times in Korea.
I asked him, "do you think about your time in Korea much?"
"I try not to,", he replied, "but sometimes things pop up that remind me of the good times and the bad times I experianced. There weren't that many good times over there, though."
Bob passed away in his sleep due to his heart problems. His loving wife of over 60 years called me first at about 5:00 AM and my wife and I came over immediately to help her. I called my boss, the county sheriff, and advised I would be taking off that day and why. I called the coroner, the local funeral home, and then called one of my buddies at the sheriff's office who leads the departments honor guard.
It was a little after 8:00 am when the funeral home was ready to take Bob away and by then a number of friends and neighbors had gathered outside. The sheriff's department's honor guard was also present in full Class 'A" uniform to present arms when Bob was transported from the house to the hearse. Bob's wife was standing between my wife and I with our arms around her with the first signs of tears in her eyes, leaned over to me and said, "I think Bob would have liked that."
(I've had to take a break in writing at this point)
Bob's only daughter, son-in-law, and two grand daughers live out of state and arrived late that evening. Next morning I went down to Bob's house to check on them and see if they needed anything. When I was invited in Bob's wife introducted me to his daughter who came up and hugged me tightly and said that Bob had spoken of me and my family many times. Since the weather was cooperating, I invited them to our house for lunch and I cooked out on the grill and we had a great time visiting and hearing stories about Bob in the times before I'd come to know him.
On the day before the funeral I reached out to the representative from the US Army's honor guard who would be at the funeral. I had a request to make and was not sure if they would be receptive or not. Turns out, there was no problem in my request . . . I asked them if they would use USGI M1 carbines from my collection for the 21 gun salute. I advised them I would provide the guns and the blank ammunition. It was a small thing, but I was very proud to have some of the veteran arms from my collection used one more time in the service of their country, if only to honor a war veteran at his final resting place.
http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL488/1124764/6541000/25534171.jpg
http://www.gunsnet.net/showthread.php?19292-Faulkner-scores-WWII-1911A1
I believe that Bob, a Korean War veteran, was typical of many veterans of his generation. Typical in that they went when they were called, they did their duty, many experianced horrific things. When they came home, they put the war behind them best they could and helped build and support the largest peacetime economic expansion in our country's history.
I really enjoyed Bob's companionship. He went rabbit hunting with my son and I few weeks back and he even bagged a couple of cottontails with his Winchester Model 42 .410 pump, but mostly we watched my son work the beagles and we walked and talked and enjoyed the warm sun as it came up on that cold, frosty morning. Bob seldom talked about the war, but he made the comment on this morning that he had never been so cold as he was at times in Korea.
I asked him, "do you think about your time in Korea much?"
"I try not to,", he replied, "but sometimes things pop up that remind me of the good times and the bad times I experianced. There weren't that many good times over there, though."
Bob passed away in his sleep due to his heart problems. His loving wife of over 60 years called me first at about 5:00 AM and my wife and I came over immediately to help her. I called my boss, the county sheriff, and advised I would be taking off that day and why. I called the coroner, the local funeral home, and then called one of my buddies at the sheriff's office who leads the departments honor guard.
It was a little after 8:00 am when the funeral home was ready to take Bob away and by then a number of friends and neighbors had gathered outside. The sheriff's department's honor guard was also present in full Class 'A" uniform to present arms when Bob was transported from the house to the hearse. Bob's wife was standing between my wife and I with our arms around her with the first signs of tears in her eyes, leaned over to me and said, "I think Bob would have liked that."
(I've had to take a break in writing at this point)
Bob's only daughter, son-in-law, and two grand daughers live out of state and arrived late that evening. Next morning I went down to Bob's house to check on them and see if they needed anything. When I was invited in Bob's wife introducted me to his daughter who came up and hugged me tightly and said that Bob had spoken of me and my family many times. Since the weather was cooperating, I invited them to our house for lunch and I cooked out on the grill and we had a great time visiting and hearing stories about Bob in the times before I'd come to know him.
On the day before the funeral I reached out to the representative from the US Army's honor guard who would be at the funeral. I had a request to make and was not sure if they would be receptive or not. Turns out, there was no problem in my request . . . I asked them if they would use USGI M1 carbines from my collection for the 21 gun salute. I advised them I would provide the guns and the blank ammunition. It was a small thing, but I was very proud to have some of the veteran arms from my collection used one more time in the service of their country, if only to honor a war veteran at his final resting place.
http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL488/1124764/6541000/25534171.jpg