Hubie King: An Arlington Story

 

It is one of the most awe inspiring sites you’ll ever see. As you cross the hill all you see in front of you is a sea of white grave markers going up down to the bottom of the hill and up the next hill as far as the eye can see. This is Arlington National Cemetery. Among those grave markers you will find presidents, generals, astronauts, and other famous VIPs from our nations history. Those graves represent a small percentage because the vast majority are just ordinary soldiers. Men and women who went to war to defend our country and the freedoms it represents. We have all witnessed a military honors funeral. They are all moving and all are patriotic and richly deserved by those who receive them. To experience the same ceremony in our nations cemetery is truly all inspiring and humbling.

 It starts at the family center at the top of the hill. An honor guard, in this case the Air Force honor guard, carries the coffin out of the family center building.  The American flag draped casket is placed on a horse drawn gun carriage. If the veteran was cremated there is a coffin that the urn fits inside. 

The color guard form up and take position at the head of the column. Behind the color guard is the Air Force band. Marching orders are given and the color guard and band lead the procession through a small section of left and right turns as you circle the family center and begin to start down hill.

Air Force officers ride on the horses pulling the carriage. Riding behind the carriage in the first car is my sister, her brother and sister in law, and her grandkids. I was in the second car. 

As you leave the family center the road curves to the right and you go around a small patch of grass that has some graves inside of it.  Standing at the head of one of the graves was a gentleman in a VFW hat that had Korean War on it. He was holding his hands and head bowed in prayer and when he saw the flag draped coffin go past he turned to face the coffin and did the sign of the cross in a prayer. He did not know my brother-in-law, but said a prayer for him all the same.

 

 Leaving that little traffic circle at the top of the hill you go start to go down a beautiful winding road through the trees. During the spring, summer, and fall this drive is splendid with colors. This ceremony took place in March so there were not the colors but the beauty of the wood
and the sun and sky shining through them more than made up for the lack of color.
 

You go up a small rise, and then drop over the crest of the hill. As you go down the crest of the hill your vision is full of this field of white grave markers. It covers your perspective from every angle, even your peripheral vision. It is hard not to get a lump in your throat when you see the vastness of these grave markers stretched before you. As you drive down the hill the band in front is playing a selection of patriotic songs and those celebrating the Air Force.

As we drive down the road there is a family of four that is visiting one of the graves. The parents are clearly standing and paying their respects while the two younger children are running around and playing as kids do. The kids could not be more than six or seven years old. As our caravan approached, the parents gathered the little boy and little girl in front of them and when the gun carriage with the casket approached the parents covered their hearts with their hand the two little kids did the same. Then the little boy took his hand and saluted the coffin. Much the same as John F. Kennedy Junior did when his dad's casket passed him during the funeral for the president. They did not know my brother-in-law, however they honored him just the same.

Towards the bottom of the hill you have to turn to the right and go up a small rise to get to the gravesite. We turned right for the procession to stop at the gravesite. Standing on the road  at the corner there were two men, probably about the age of Desert Storm veterans, wearing "chocolate chip" desert camo  and their service hats. They moved to the side so as to not block the procession and snapped to attention and gave the casket a salute as it passed in front of them. They did not know my brother-in-law, but they honored him all the same. 

Arriving at the gravesite the honor guard and band go to the left while the family heads to the right. Behind the family cars game the dignitaries and people who are speaking. An honor guard removes the box/urn of my brother-in-law's ashes from the carriage while fellow officers salute. They then joined the rest of the honor guard that acted as pallbearers and they proceeded to the gravesite. 

 

The urn (or casket if not cremated) is placed on a stand above the grave and the honor guard unfold and stretch an American flag over the deceased. 

 

 When everyone was assembled the band played a short song, I’m sorry I don’t remember what it was, and a list of my brother-in-law‘s accomplishments were read. This included several combat missions over Vietnam and winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. There were some kind words spoken by members of the Air Force and friends and family. When they were finished the 21 gun salute shots echoed across the hills and graves.

 

The Air Force band played one more time. There were some closing remarks and the honor guard folded the flag over my brother-in-laws grave. They presented the flag to my sister in honor of a grateful nation. The presenting officer gave the flag and my sister a final salute. The military dignitaries and guests came over to my sister and her family and offered their condolences. 

 

 

 

Arlington lies in the flight path of one of the Washington DC airports. During the whole service airliners were flying over. Some of us thought that was a nice touch since my brother-in-law was a pilot. My sister joked that he would have made some joke about why couldn't they bury him under the flight line for the fighter jets since that is what he flew.   

As the dignitaries moved on to their cars, the band and honor guard began to march away in formation to go back to their bus that was waiting for them down the road.

After the honor guard filed out and people were leaving the gravesite I noticed that one member of the honor guard stepped forward and saluted the casket. He stood there and held at salute for five minutes. 

I don’t know how many other people paid attention to him however it was what I felt was an extremely significant symbol of respect.

He was not distracted by anything or anybody and no one approached him. At the end of that five minutes he ended his salute did a sharp about face and quietly walked off down the road by himself. He did not remove his cap or act in anyway like his job was finished. He just silently marched down the road. I watched him go. The road was empty of people. The other band members and honor guard were already on the bus. He was the last one to the bus. At the doorway he paused. Turned and looked back at were we were gathered, removed his hat and got on the bus. He didn't know my brother-in-law. I don't know if he was ordered to perform the final salute, volunteered to do it, or that was the role he was chosen to play in the ceremony. No matter the answer, it was the final look he gave towards my brother-in-law that I felt honored him all the same.

Arlington National Cemetery is a powerful and humbling place. It melts the hardest of hearts and makes the most stoic shed tears. Thanking these ordinary men and women that gave their all to defend our nation and the freedoms we enjoy seems like not enough of an action when you stand among them. Yet a simple thank you is more than what many of these individuals ever expected. To have a member of my family among lying among them is an honor I can't quite find words for.

To all the veterans that served. All those that came home, and those that didn't; I just want to say THANK YOU.

Ev

Hubert G. King, Jr. Obituary

Hubert Graham King, Jr. (Age 79)

Of Annandale, VA passed away December 8, 2012, peacefully, at home. He is survived by his wife, sister; three children; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.