Military Honors at Arlington

Kelly and I were honored to be a part of a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery this week. I presided over the service and Kelly was asked to take pictures. Other than what I've seen on TV, I've never seen a service like this. There was protocol to be followed every step of the way from a formal invitation to officiate. coming from the Chaplain of the Cemetery, to a strictly adhered to process during the ceremony itself.

It was amazingly moving.

Everything is done with great precision and coordination. The men who take part are obviously dedicated and very serious about honoring those they are memorializing. There's a great sense of dignity and tradition wound into all they do.

In speaking to the coordinator at the Cemetery, he shared with me that only the best of the best get assigned to Arlington., "These men are elite and have trained and practiced extensively. It is their great honor to be here and they consider it an enormous responsibility to escort these men and women who have served out country so well to their final resting place. We do, at times, 30 funerals a day and they treat each one as if it's the only one they will ever do in their lives."

It was humbling to watch these men treat this affair with such great dignity and honor. It was impressive to see how tender and caring the Cemetery Staff, the soldiers and officers were with the family and their loved ones. Here are some photos of the ceremony: