David Botti
|
Nov 12, 2007 11:25 AM
Photo: Seth Wenig/AP
When
I heard Captain McKenna was going to lead a platoon of volunteers from
my old reserve rifle company who were heading to Iraq, I was relieved.
He’d take care of them. He was an enlisted man’s officer. He was pure
and simple a decent person, and a respected leader.
He was killed on Aug. 16, 2006-shot by a sniper near Fallujah as he went to rescue a wounded Marine, Lance Corporal Glover, who also died that day. Their funerals both took place in New York City within the same week.
I often wish that every American could attend at least one funeral of a soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. They are one of only a few occasions when military and civilian rituals can come together as one. They are the proud and largely unknown moments of American history. Since 9/11, they’ve taken place more than 4,000 times.
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