Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Keith Kuller, forever faithful to his family and country
Been a long week for our family. Last Sunday my sister Bee’s husband suddenly passed away. His name was Keith Kuller, and he loved my sister with everything he had. They were an inseparable couple, so his death left us all in a very sad state of affairs.
Keith was a veteran back in the days when it wasn’t that popular to be one. In the late ’60s, when Keith voluntarily enlisted in the Marines, the rest of us were praying that we’d be able to avoid the draft.
During the Vietnam War hundreds of thousands of young men between the ages of 18 and 26 were conscripted into the military. Since the only choice for young folks back then was to stay in school or get drafted, I have the draft to thank for my bachelor’s degree. By the time I graduated from college the war in Vietnam had sacrificed over 50,000 young Americans lives and torn our country apart. I lost a close friend in that war, John Renner, and every time I visit the Vietnam wall in Washington, D.C., I make it a point to look him up so I can touch his name and shed a tear…
My dad was a decorated WWII combat veteran, my Uncle Bob fought in Korea, and my generation fought in Vietnam, now we have Iraq, Afghanistan, and one can only wonder if we mortals will ever find a better way to resolve our differences.
From what we can tell, God turned the page last Sunday and Keith’s name was up. His totally unexpected demise was a crushing shock particularly for Jenny, Kim, Kirk, Mandy and Kelsey… Keith’s family was his life, he loved them dearly, and indeed they are an inseparable bunch.
Death is a seriously scary thing that none of us take lightly. Anyone who has been given this gift we call life will also have to experience death… there is no escape.
Most folks who attend any church eventually develop a deep faith in an afterlife. But when death actually happens, those crushed by the passing of a loved can’t help but wonder whether or not life really does go on from here. The passing of a loved one never seems fair, and it usually leaves the survivors in total angst at the reality of having to let go of someone we love… and that’s where our faith comes in handy.
Death is a part of life, but take a gander at the caterpillar turning into a butterfly and tell me that miracles don’t occur… we are not only meant to die, we are destined to be born again… and all we can do is comfort ourselves with our faith.
Keith was buried in the Veteran’s Cemetery south of town. Although I lost sleep and felt a deep sense of loss I wasn’t able to weep until we were in the motorcade. It was a cold morning and the Vietnam Vets motorcycle club led the way to the cemetery. Each motorcycle had a flag: the American, MIA, and Marine flag. As we headed thru town I noted the Marine flag and the Marine slogan of Semper Fi (forever faithful) filled me with tears… I could no longer speak… indeed Keith was forever faithful to his family and his country.
We came into the Veteran’s Cemetery and were greeted by a full dress honor guard that snapped to attention until we all entered the chapel. The ceremony was complete with a 21-gun salute and Taps and our tearful goodbyes… it was a beautiful moment that filled all of us with awe and deep gratitude.
The Vietnam Vets took one last loop around the cemetery on their motorcycles and headed off… it was a humbling moment…
While waiting in the parking lot for my riders a large flock of Canadian geese flew over. They were low and headed towards the Missouri River. I watched them loudly pass over and noticed one white snow goose amongst hundreds of gray Canadians, and the next thing I knew I was wishing Keith safe travels and telling him that I looked forward to seeing him on the other side…
May the love of those around you and your faith in the hereafter help you get through whatever you have to do while you’re here… peace…
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
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