We made a trip to Washington this last Monday. It was a beautiful day, bright sunshine, hot and the roads were light with traffic. It was a trip I had dreaded the previous five years to have to make. It was for a funeral at Arlington Cemetery.

We all assembled close to the grave as the attendance was so large. For four years we wondered day in and day out whether we would be attending the funeral of our own son here. But last year he completed his enlistment in 2nd Recon Battalion based in Cam LeJeune, NC. His last tour in Iraq he had been very close with his gunny sergeant and commanding officer who he reported to. Whilst Jeremy left the corps and went to school his friends carried on their service to our country.

July 8th we heard that his old gunny sergeant now  Master Sergeant John E Hayes had been killed in action in Afghanistan along with another Marine. We were touched by how many people were at the funeral, this was a man who had touched many lives during his career and everyone wanted to pay their respects.

Several images remain with me from that day, MSgt John Hayes wife, his high school sweetheart saying good bye to her husband as everyone left and she knelt beside his casket, an image filled with poignancy and love. Secondly, at the reception following another Marine, standing to give a eulogy choking up over the friend he had lost. As I have thought on these two images through the week it left me with the following thought.

No greater love...

Semper Fi MSgt John Hayes, Thank you and rest in peace.