Flags of the fallen

Image courtesy: Military Times

While attending the solemn procession for 1st Lt. Robert Collins last week, I asked some mourners if they were familiar with the story of the man he died alongside in Mosul, Iraq. Almost everyone knew his name, and showed a genuine interest in knowing more about the story of Spc. William Anthony Blount. As we honored 1st Lt. Collins in Tyrone, Georgia, most of us weren't aware that Spc. Blount was being saluted at almost the exact same moment in the small city of Petal, Mississippi.

During the moving procession, The Hattiesburg American reports that two sisters, who were also former next door neighbors to the hometown hero, made a very meaningful, personal tribute. The sisters brought the stars and stripes that once covered the casket of their grandfather, World War II veteran Johnny Lloyd Diehl, and displayed it as Blount's flag-draped casket passed by. The sisters shared memories of the fallen soldier with reporter Tim Doherty.

"I was friends with one of his (older) sisters, and he was this sweet, little boy who you wanted to go away all the time, but just couldn't stop yourself from liking when he was around," [Nancy] Hayes said. "He was the little brother that you would nit-pick at, but he was such a sweet kid. He didn't have a bad bone in his body. It's just so sad."

According to the Pentagon, Blount, 21, and Collins, 24, were killed in action on April 7 while serving bravely in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device planted by terrorists. Both soldiers served with the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

While standing at an intersection waiting to pay respects to Blount's platoon leader in Georgia, I was saddened by a conversation going on behind me. A group of friends was forced to discuss the 'Westboro Baptist Church' and fears that the Collins family's grief would be disrupted during the weekend. Of course, another military family is taking the fanatical protesters to the Supreme Court for disrupting their loved one's funeral with hateful rhetoric. According to The Student Printz, the same concerns were on the minds of mourners at Blount's procession, showing how much pain this hate group is inexplicably causing to relatives and friends of fallen troops.

[Cheryl] Morgan had gone ahead to Highland Cemetary in Hattiesburg with a few others to prepare the Patriot Guard Riders flag line there, and make sure no disruptive protesters decided to show up. Rumors had been flying around all weekend, Morgan said, that [Fred] Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church would be petitioning to demonstrate at Blount's funeral.

"Crazies or uglies," are the only terms Morgan can think of to describe them -- or at least the only terms allowable in print.

Yet as Lesley Waters' article makes clear, love for Blount clearly outshined the hate of Phelps.

As the hearse carrying Blount's body was being driven to the Moore Funeral Home in Petal, it passed by Petal High School where he graduated in 2007. Outside were students from both Petal Elementary School and the high school, holding up hand-written signs of support and waving flags, [Steven] Girard said.

The 30 or 40 small signs were arranged along the hallway leading into the funeral parlor where Blount's casket stood during the viewing held at 5:30 Friday evening. Each carried messages of thanks, condolence, prayers and hope for Blount and his family.

Because of the tragedy in Mosul, one special family member will have to get to know the fallen soldier through stories, pictures, newspaper clippings, and home videos. But after Avery Elizabeth Blount is born, she will also grow up looking at a special flag, which has already been presented to her mother, to ensure her father's spirit is always with her. Like the flag flown by Spc. William Anthony Blount's next door neighbors and one given to me at 1st Lt. Robert Collins' procession, which I now treasure, it will represent an important piece of a generation's struggle for freedom.

The Unknown Soldiers sends its deepest condolences to the Blount and Collins families, and thanks the communities of Petal and Tyrone for showing such exceptional support for our military in these dark moments.