My son and I went to the internment service for Aaron. Thank you to the family for allowing me to attend such a private ceremony.....it was moving and something I will remember for a long time to come. I made it a point to take my son, Ben, who is 9. I told him what I knew about Aaron and it will help shape this young man to honor TRUE heroes. The Patriot guard was out in force and lining the drive with dozens of American flags. There was all the ceremony befitting an Officer and I was moved by it all. There was a moment that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I was standing out side the chapel and as the bugler was playing "Taps", there was a slight breeze and all you could hear was the crying of a woman inside the chapel.....and then as the high note of taps was played, there was a huge gust of wind that made the flags flap extra hard and loud. It was surreal. It was like a last goodbye. As I said, I was very moved and when I came home I wrote a poem and put it with some video I took at the ceremony.
We Honor you Captain, and may your legacy live on through your family and friends. This is my contribution. The youtube link for the video is
In Honor of Captain Aaron BlanchardThe poem is as follows:
Today We Watched......
Today we watched, my Son and I
As a grieving family and friends stood by,
To lay to rest a soldier, brave,
How many lives this man to save?
To protect our peace on this country’s land
to bring some peace to foreign sand.
It was not the first time he was called to go
The last it could be, but he didn’t say no.
So today we honor him and his friend
For giving of themselves until the end
End! You say? I say “No!”
The legacy of the man is just beginning to show.
From the love he gave to those he knew
To the passion for ideals to name but a few
These are the things we will cherish the more
When we think of him on that Heavenly shore.
So today as the Taps horn hit the high note
And the wind came rushing out of the north
We pledged one and all to try to forgive
and to copy from him the way we should live.