....graduated in '65, moved to California to start college..

spent the next three years in the Army, most of that in VietNam...
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I can't tell you how many stories I've heard in my life that started out similar to that one. All different, all the same. Love those stories, sorry sometimes that I don't have one. I told him that associating with those guys was extra special to me because I was not a combat soldier. As much as I was honored to be a part of taking the last ride with the man inside, I was honored to be standing with these folks. I thought, man, somebody should be writing this stuff down. It is history, like we studied in school, only this was people in my world, some older, some younger....heroes.

I looked at what was a most beautiful child. Mom was holding her, maybe twenty feet from me. Her little body wrapped with a black knit cap with an oversized lace rose on the side. A nice black velour dress, white stockings and tiny black patent leather shoes. Almost totally covered with a warm looking pink blanket. When she looked over in my direction, I saw her cherubic cheeks were pink because of the chilly Oklahoma breeze. She didn't squirm around and get fussy...at all. She did spend a good part of the graveside service singing that song that happy babies sing. I thought, I guess I'm here as much for her as for Sgt. Tucker.

They both had recently started a new journey. Hers, into this world, everything new and fasinating. Wide-eyed and curious, nothing escaped her gaze. His...how can we be sure? He was meeting up now with many others of his kind, including the man that raised my wife. A man I surely wish I would've known. Perhaps the others who have been laid to rest here were crowding around, getting to know the new guy.

Impressive new guy too. World War 2 Veteran. One of the first to engage the Japanese. He served with the 164th Infantry Division reinforcing the First Marine Division during landing assualts on Guadalcanal. The Secretary of the Navy authorized the troops of the U.S. Army 164th Infantry Regiment to wear the 1st Marine shoulder patch due to their service in the South Pacific. That is only the beginning. Among his awards and medals were the Purple Heart, Asiatic Pacific Service Ribbon, 4 Bronze Stars, American Defense Service Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, 5 Overseas Bars, and the Prestigious Navy Presidential Citation issued by Major General Alexander Vandergrift.

It crossed my mind that there were 14 bikes and maybe double that in cages, but it didn't matter......no matter how many showed up, this guy was bigger than all of us put together.