VanC
Well-known member
This was in our local paper this morning. Thought I would share it with you. It's not on the web, so I am going to type it word for word. I am crying as I type it.
by Mary Yemma Long
April 27 was the funeral for Lucas Starcevich, U.S. Army, killed in Baghdad by an improvised explosive device. Our Military Moms Prayer Group has mourned Lucas' passing with his mom, our "sister" Ava Tomson. I have been pondering the outpouring of support we witnessed on Friday, and I thought I would list some of them in thanksgiving for the kind of community that puts aside politics to mourn the passing of a young man who gave his life in service to his country. All of these brought tears to our eyes:
-The incredibly reverent Patriot Guard who showed such honor for Luke and Ava's family, who escorted the body of Lucas from the airport to the funeral home and stood guard 24 hours a day for three days, until the more than 20 strong on motorcycles and in trucks with flags and banners escorted us to Camp Butler National Cemetary in Springfield;
-The elderly residents, many vets, and workers at Windsor of Savoy and Carle Arbors who lined the streets with their flags and themselves as we exited Morgan Funeral Home;
-The little Girl Scout troop in their green sashes in front of Bottenfield Elementary School;
-All the people who stopped and stood at attention along the motorcade route;
-The class of students standing in front of Carrie Busey Elementary School;
-The entire student body of St. John's Lutheran School with flags along Mattis Avenue;
-The young man, who we thought might be an Iraqi War vet, with prosthetic arm holding a flag by the Schnucks store on Mattis;
-The Duncan Road overpass on I-72, on which Champaign and Urbana Fire Department trucks with ladders extended flew a huge American flag, as firefighters stood atop their trucks and saluted;
-The countless overpasses between Champaign-Urbana and Springfield that had small-town firetrucks and EMS vehicles, with crews saluting as they stood at attention and flew flags;
-All the vehicles along the interstate that stopped as the funeral procession passed, with some of the people standing beside the highway with their hands on their hearts (it is incredible when people stop their fast pace to pay their respects as any funeral procession passes, but especially on an intersate);
Patriot Guard rider Tom Harpst, who had motorcycle trouble: he pulled off to the side and as the motorcade passed, he stood and saluted;
-The vets who stood beside the interstate in the heart of Decatur, right by the highway, slowing traffic with all their signs and flags as they mourned with us;
-The groundskeeper with his hand and hat on his heart as we entered the cemetary;
-Ava's incredible courage: as the 21-gun salute sounded and taps began, Ava sobbed as did almost everyone there. And yet Ava cried out, "God's got him, God's got him." Such profound faith, such a witness;
-The honor and respect that representatives of all military branches extended to the family;
-The grace that all of Lucas' family exhibited throughout this heartbreaking time, the witness to family love.
I wanted to recount these things because they all touched me profoundly. Even now my eyes well with tears remembering. It is a privilege to have Ava call us "sisters."
by Mary Yemma Long
April 27 was the funeral for Lucas Starcevich, U.S. Army, killed in Baghdad by an improvised explosive device. Our Military Moms Prayer Group has mourned Lucas' passing with his mom, our "sister" Ava Tomson. I have been pondering the outpouring of support we witnessed on Friday, and I thought I would list some of them in thanksgiving for the kind of community that puts aside politics to mourn the passing of a young man who gave his life in service to his country. All of these brought tears to our eyes:
-The incredibly reverent Patriot Guard who showed such honor for Luke and Ava's family, who escorted the body of Lucas from the airport to the funeral home and stood guard 24 hours a day for three days, until the more than 20 strong on motorcycles and in trucks with flags and banners escorted us to Camp Butler National Cemetary in Springfield;
-The elderly residents, many vets, and workers at Windsor of Savoy and Carle Arbors who lined the streets with their flags and themselves as we exited Morgan Funeral Home;
-The little Girl Scout troop in their green sashes in front of Bottenfield Elementary School;
-All the people who stopped and stood at attention along the motorcade route;
-The class of students standing in front of Carrie Busey Elementary School;
-The entire student body of St. John's Lutheran School with flags along Mattis Avenue;
-The young man, who we thought might be an Iraqi War vet, with prosthetic arm holding a flag by the Schnucks store on Mattis;
-The Duncan Road overpass on I-72, on which Champaign and Urbana Fire Department trucks with ladders extended flew a huge American flag, as firefighters stood atop their trucks and saluted;
-The countless overpasses between Champaign-Urbana and Springfield that had small-town firetrucks and EMS vehicles, with crews saluting as they stood at attention and flew flags;
-All the vehicles along the interstate that stopped as the funeral procession passed, with some of the people standing beside the highway with their hands on their hearts (it is incredible when people stop their fast pace to pay their respects as any funeral procession passes, but especially on an intersate);
Patriot Guard rider Tom Harpst, who had motorcycle trouble: he pulled off to the side and as the motorcade passed, he stood and saluted;
-The vets who stood beside the interstate in the heart of Decatur, right by the highway, slowing traffic with all their signs and flags as they mourned with us;
-The groundskeeper with his hand and hat on his heart as we entered the cemetary;
-Ava's incredible courage: as the 21-gun salute sounded and taps began, Ava sobbed as did almost everyone there. And yet Ava cried out, "God's got him, God's got him." Such profound faith, such a witness;
-The honor and respect that representatives of all military branches extended to the family;
-The grace that all of Lucas' family exhibited throughout this heartbreaking time, the witness to family love.
I wanted to recount these things because they all touched me profoundly. Even now my eyes well with tears remembering. It is a privilege to have Ava call us "sisters."
