Tribute to Roger Mayo, Airman KIA, Pacific Theater | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Tribute to Roger Mayo, Airman KIA, Pacific Theater

    Memorial Day is Monday. It is supposed to be honored with flags flying at half-mast until noon at least. How many of us know what a half-masted flag really means?

    I DO!!!

    I have officiated at the military funeral of a church member killed in action. The flag is draped on the casket signifying him/her giving of all for military duty. The ministerial words end and then the Military part begins with sharp orders spoken in quiet voice to the 7 men with rifles:

       •  Squad, ATTENTION

       •  READY

       •  AIM

       •  FIRE

       •  TAPS is soulfully played by the bugler---again, without command

    You cannot help but flinch as those guns fire together with a sharp crack. It is, perhaps the last sound heard by the person beneath the flag in a box. War is neither quiet nor nice. It is life or death. It involves killing and maiming another human in the name of your country, tribe, or family. There is always a REASON FOR THE LETTING OF BLOOD.

    Next the detail addresses the flag on the casket:

       •  In unison the men approach

       •  They split into a line on each side-four to each as the officer directs without words.

       •  White gloved hands, in unison and with soft motion this time, clutch the sides of the flag

       •  Not a word is uttered as the sides come together once, then again, all above the casket

       •  Now the men begin to make the tightly folded flag long ways into a triangle.

       •  Each fold is carefully pressed by strong hands of the Honor Guard

       •  The officer takes the triangular bundle of cloth and tucks in the last part to seal it well

       •  He then steps to the nearest relative or friend designated and says:

    "On behalf of the President of the United States, I present this flag with deep gratitude from this nation for his service (her as the case may be)."

    The symbolism of each step is described here: http://www.veteransunited.com/spouse/a-final-salute-know-the-symbolism-behind-military-funerals/

    I have never conducted such a funeral without shedding tears as birds sing, winds blow, all DUE HONOR AND RESPECT is paid for anyone in our military whose family requests it. I asked my Airborne Army Ranger Lieutenant brother, Charles Scarborough, what his hardest duty was as the Vietnam War ended. "Telling a family of the death of their loved one," was his answer.

    In my career, several times a partial Honor Guard handed the flag to me, the Minister, to present the family. You try saying those words to a family as you see their tears up close and personal without having a great big lump in your throat as you quietly say them. It requires a quiet voice. My full voice could not utter them without cracking and failing!

    You then take the arm of the next of kin, assist them to rise, and escort them to the Family car. You feel the shaking of the emotions as a last farewell has been rendered to a real hero of war. It is hard to walk without stumbling --- from the tears obscuring vision in the quiet of the cemetery.

    General Sherman said it simply: WAR IS HELL.

    Let me put a flesh-and-blood ending to my account. It involves a young man I know as "Uncle Roger Mayo." His picture is atop our china cabinet as you enter out little cottage by the Pamlico River. His head is shrouded by a flight helmet all the bomber crews wore for their formal military photo. He was the bombardier in the Pacific Theater of War. He went to Eternity on August 10, 1944. The official report says the bomber blew up and no bodies were recovered.

    ERNEST ROGER MAYO is the name on the side of the Nash County Courthouse along with all the Nash County dead of WWII. Monday they will have a ceremony, sparsely attended. The parents and family are all dead now. It is too far for us, the second generation, to drive to Rocky Mount --- BUT we will gather our grandchildren in front of the picture and tell them about war and death.

    This little house is basic. It cost $10,000 to build. That was the Death Benefit from Uncle Roger. To me, it is the most fitting tribute to him. The little Fisherman's Cottage is "basic 50's house at the River," typical of the day. His brother, Ed Mayo and I maintained it together. His Niece, Lonya Mayo Scarborough, became my wife in 1968. We have taken a week's vacation at times to come and work to keep it from falling down. We were mostly in SC and brought our tools when we came. Our most "work intensive" visit was to paint one summer. Of all the repair duties I hate most --- is cleaning and re-glazing windows. That year we spent half the week on a ladder just addressing window panes about to fall out from neglect. The rest was spent scraping and painting a primer coat only.

    It would have been easy to slap a little cheap paint on and lie on the beach most of the week. It needs the same this weekend, but I will gladly do it. My sweat and chips falling will be done as a tribute to Uncle Roger. The work is hard and slow, but NOTHING compared to a bomber crew climbing aboard a Liberator to face death each time they flew a mission.

    Many have little knowledge of what Memorial Day actually represents. They see it as the "first weekend of summer" only. It is too much trouble to leave the beach and go to a boring ceremony or small parade with old men giving speeches and wearing the VFW insignia. Those ceremonies signify the real meaning of this Holiday. It is meant to honor our fallen dead who gave their lives so we could enjoy the freedom of America we have.

    Drink beer and get sunburned, if you please. I SHALL BE GLAZING WINDOWS --- THINKING of Uncle Roger, who gave his all. His mother and kin who spent years dreaming he might be some day found on some Pacific Atoll---ALIVE. After some 20 years they had to admit his remains would never get back home BUT his soul is alive and well in his ETERNAL HOME. We shall all see him again one day!

    PRAISE BE TO GOD!!!
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Comments

( May 24th, 2015 @ 4:09 pm )
 
I still don't have it. You'll have to send it to me.
( May 24th, 2015 @ 12:12 pm )
 
After the Holiday, I am sure you will post my pending article on "Obama could be the next Supreme Court Justice appointed." It is spicy, but based on the history of Justices who were former executives on the state and national level. . .

I am not saying, "He should be --- consider that "he might be," my brother!
( May 24th, 2015 @ 8:34 am )
 
Thanks for posting this. This is what we, here at BCN, are trying to achieve here.



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