This feature by Chris Jones is an amazing piece of investigative journalism. Using a structure of reverse chronological order, it focuses on people, places, and details in the story of Sergeant Joseph Montgomery, killed in Iraq. His final days and death are not portrayed until the end of the piece. Leading up to it is a disheartening but beautifully written inside look at people involved at each step of his journey, beginning with the funeral director’s son who digs the grave and looks on at the graveside service. The list of characters and their relation to the story, minor or major, is too long to detail in this brief write up. But it is fair to say that little to nothing is left out; few to none are left out.
Note: Breakdown by paragraphs can be found within each section.
Part One – Indiana, The End
- Graveside service introduces reader to the story and some of the characters (paragraphs 1 – 26) a.Initially told through the eyes of Don Collins, funeral director’s son, who digs the grave and looks on at the services (1-5); b. Description of the honor guard’s versus the funeral motorcade’s route (6); c. Careful set up of the honor guard to follow protocol and graveside protocol (7-17); d. Passing of the flag to Brigadier General Belinda Pinckney, who presents to the widow, her words, her reflections (18-24, includes exposition about meaning/history of flag presentation); e. Exiting from graveside services and continuing reflections of soldiers, Brigadier General; final burial by Don Collins and his father (25-26). Note: The transitions that introduce new individuals to the readers are masterful. For instance, he uses the thoughts of one to transition to the introduction of the next.
- Church services are depicted through the eyes of Sergeant Montgomery’s mother, Gail, beginning with her recollections of having baptized Joseph in that same church. It is heartbreaking (paragraphs 27 – 31); a. Recollection of her child as an infant, recalling his baptism (27); b. Gail’s struggles over the years. We understand some of what she has endured as well as her own resilience and strength, betrayed by her reliance on cigarettes as part of her coping (28 – 30); c. Description of what strangers could know from looking on. What a great technique for adding details not immediately related from the stories of the closest mourners! (31) Note: The reader is learning of the subject’s life through the eyes of multiple people, giving a view not knowable to those who met Montgomery later in his life.
- The arrival at local airport and procession to hometown, accompanied by state troopers, funeral director, family, best friend. It is a mix of ritualistic practices and individual grief (paragraphs 32-54; a. Recollections of state troopers as the largest response they’ve seen (32-34); b. Mission and origins of the Patriot Guard, formed in response to threat of protestors; words of mother who is appreciative of that (35); c. Collins, Sr. and army sergeant in car behind, followed by family members, and friend, Ryan (36-37); d. Details of Montgomery’s earlier life, friendship with Ryan, days of alienation from his family, including an episode of homelessness, reconciliation with family and girlfriend, young adult life as husband and father, including his struggles that led to army enlistment. (38-54)
- Family viewing of the remains (paragraph 55 – 58); a. Funeral director and army sergeant determine that his remains look acceptable enough for the family to view (always up to discretion of those in attendance and the family themselves) (55-57); b. Indications that his body is not complete by older brother who attempts to put his ring on the gloved finger (there is nothing there) (58)Note: This grisly detail of the missing finger foreshadows later recognition of the details of his death and of incomplete remains.
- Description of carrying of casket from plane to awaiting transport, mostly through the eyes of Jim Staggers, link in the chain of” honorable transfer” (paragraph 59 – 75); a. The emotionality to Staggers and the full attention he gives to each body he accompanies (59-63); b. What can be deduced from the weight of the casket and the notation that Montgomery’s is lighter than might be expected (64- 65,also foreshadowing); c. Guardsman focus on detail to keep “game face”; Staggers cannot deny his humanity and breaks down in tears after reading words of honor (66-72); d. Carrying the casket to the hearse (73-74); e. Mention that two soldiers in convoy will themselves be called to Iraq 2 months later (75). Note: further use of foreshadowing and coming to terms with realities of the circumstances of his death
Part Two – Dover Air Force Base
- How honored transport of bodies began and how it’s carried out through the eyes of Steve Greene who own the planes enlisted for this duty (76-88); a. In Greene’s description of how he became involved and performs his services, he makes his observations of the variety of responses on a community basis known (76-88); b. Memories run into each other, Greene states, an acknowledgement of having seen so many (88). Note: This section brings into awareness a broad cast of characters, including civilians who are contracted for services in the chain of transport.
- Through the eyes of army Major who saw Montgomery’s arrival at Dover AFB in an aluminum transfer case from oversees, description of the protocol upon arrival including check for explosives within the case, autopsy and preparation/embalming of body (89-110); a. Rather than breaking this down detail by detail, the main points to be acknowledged are that attention is paid to every detail. It is extremely painstakingly done so as not to miss anything. Mention is made of being sure to not put the wrong ring on a body, for instance. This reiterates the earlier detail of his older brother noticing that his ring was missing. Those preparing the body did not have a ring for Montgomery, foreshadowing the later reveal of missing body parts (89-108); b. Recollection of polishing brass of a soldier to be cremated – reinforcing the honor given to war dead, even if it is known only to those preparing the body (109); c. Flag added to casket (110). Note: This section emphasizes excruciating detail given to preparations to honor the fallen soldiers.
- Recollections of those removing bodies from aircraft at Dover for funeral preparations (111-128); a. The formalities are clear in the words and the mechanics of transfer. Bodies are being brought into the morgue for identification and preparation, as described in the preceding section. There is protocol and sobriety at each step. Note: Jones does not miss any opportunity to convey deeply felt emotions and honor conveyed by traditions.
Part Three – Forward Operating Base Falcon
- Recognition by Montgomery’s friend, Staff Sergeant Terry Slaght, of the death (129-136)-This section highlights the reaction, disbelief, of a close army friend to the realization that it was Montgomery’s body in the truck to be carried for air transport. He examines his friend’s body for identifying features, as he has been taught to do. Note: The story is building to the disclosure of details of his death. In portraying Slaght’s dismay and grief, the widespread impact of this one person’s life is apparent.
- Brother’s last contacts, visit to Bagdad (which is amazing in itself); chain of contacts regarding notification of death (137-162); a. Micah visit Joseph in Bagdad (137-145); b. Family members being notified of death, with Micah as central figure, attempting to protect family members from trauma; c. Culminating with notification to mother and wife (149-161); d. Knock at the door of Missie, Sergeant Montgomery’s wife, at 4 a.m. This drops like a hammer. (162). Note: The readers know it’s coming, yet the impact is still great. We are carried along to the moments at which family members are faced with the notification.
- Wife’s last contact, which turns out to be the night of his death; comrades’ discovery of his body without the lower half missing; carrying of his body by fellow soldiers to army morgue (163-224). Note: Readers are led to these moments in which Montgomery, as a living being, talks with his wife and is on duty with his fellow soldiers.
- The last time the platoon saw Sergeant Montgomery as the air transport, carrying his body back to the U.S., took flight and disappeared into the sky (225). Note: It is interesting that the piece ends with fellow soldiers watching the air transport carrying him back to the states, rather than with his final moments of life. It emphasizes that this piece is really about his place in the lives of others.