Introduction – Introducing Don Collins, but other than that we don’t get much more information. The following paragraph introduces the Collins family and what they do.
Following paragraph is a descriptive one, the reader can imagine how hot it is and can see that he’s about to start digging in the grass.
The next paragraph we see more into what tools he’s using and can imagine ourselves in the cemetery with him as he’s digging this grave.
The next paragraph talks about the “honor guards” who were from Fort Knox that would perform the parts of the service. They were dressed in their uniforms and had their M16’s in hand. And the last serviceman was holding a trumpet instead of a gun.
The funeral processional through the town was only about a 5 minute drive from the church to the cemetery.
Then it describes what happens once the casket is out of the hearse and at the cemetery. Describing who made the vault that would lower the casket into the ground.
“Amazing Grace” was played by a group of bagpipers and then music was played over the loud speakers. The reverend then spoke a few words.
The soldiers shot their rounds into the air, making sure all seven guns sound like one — otherwise they would’ve been upset and disappointed in themselves.
The boy with the trumpet began to play and he’s a true “bugler” because he wet his lips and now most of the times the “bugler” use electronic trumpets that play the taps for a funeral service.
The next paragraph talks about how it doesn’t take much skill to perform the taps and there are only a few notes to the song, but the bugler could mess it up depending on how he felt that day.
Leatherbee discusses how he decides to keep his eyes open when he’s performing the taps because it’s the least you can do.
The soldiers discussing how they feel the emotions at the funeral also.
The three shells from the guns would be placed into the flag.
The flag was then folded and inspected and passed to a woman who wore the general’s star.
Brigadier General Belinda Pinckney was to attend all the funerals of someone who was killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The wife of the soldier didn’t seem to be dealing with the death of her husband so Pinckney approached her and told her it was ok to be upset and they embraced (this was before the service began).
Pinckney then approached the wife again (once the flag had been folded) and she is giving her the flag but also talking about how it needs to come from the heart, she tries to connect with them on a level so they know it’s real.
Then discussion of why the flag folding gets done.
Pinckney then gives a spiel about the flag and what it represents to the wife.
The service then ends and the Collins lower the casket into the ground and lock of the vault.
Don Jr. removed the extra dirt and placed the makeshift tombstone on top of the grave.
Gail Bond is extremely sad over the death of the first person who she baptized in her church in 1977. She remembers holding him and baptizing him.
Bond needed a smoke, so while sitting at her kitchen table, she pulled out of little “ladylike” bag that holds her cigarettes and her lighter.
Bond lost her one of her sons, her first husband (Joey’s father), her second husband and now Joey too.
The next paragraph introduces the people who were there for Joey, his siblings, his aunts and uncles, and his wife and kids.
The majority of the people who were at the funeral barely knew Joey, but were doing it because they knew the Mayor (his uncle) or his mom. There was no eulogy for Joey.
The next paragraph discusses the things that people could’ve learned about Joey from looking around the funeral and other things they wouldn’t have been able to know about him unless they really knew him.
The next paragraph talks about how Joey’s body was escorted from the airport to Seymour where he was from.
The procession from the airport to Seymour was going to be at least three miles long because of everyone waiting at the airport for Joey.
They would have to block off the highway for the procession and the state troopers would speed up to block the upcoming ramps.
Why the Patriot Guard was created (they were also at the airport to help escort Joey’s body home). Bond was worried about the protestors but once she saw the Patriot Guard she wasn’t anymore.
Sergeant Charles Dunaway fly in from Alaska to help escort his body home on the final stretch.
It was difficult for the Mayor to drive himself and Gail because he was crying so much.
Describing Joey’s job at the steel forge.
Ryan, Joey’s best friend was also having a hard time seeing while driving back from the airport.
Ryan describing his and Joey’s friendship.
Ryan is designing Joey’s tombstone.
The processional grew more and more attention as word had spread of it.
Gail kicked Joey out of the house, he was turning into a bad egg.
He moved down to Florida to be with his sister.
Joey was still going down the wrong path, until Ryan came and visited.
Gail said he could come home if he obeyed the rules and got a job.
Came home, returned to work at the steel mill and became a father.
He was tired of having to scrape around for money, so he joined the army.
The Army suited Joey and they had moved to Alaska – things were turning around for Joey.
Joey was home for Christmas in 2006 and got a final family photo of everyone.
Flashback to the procession of taking his body home from the airport.
The war changed him as they looked on to his body when they got it home from the airport.
Joey was missing his ring and when Micah tried to put his on his hand, they realized his finger was gone.