Dear Editor,

This is a heartfelt “Thank You” and tribute of gratitude to the American Legion Post 24 for providing the military honors when veterans of our area are laid to rest. I have been to funerals of veterans before, but I didn’t fully understand the meaning of the service and the dedication of the retired service men presenting it, until it was for my brother. It was a beautiful ceremony that touched the hearts of many attending.

A dozen or more veterans came out in full uniform — color guard, bugler, riflemen and detail leader, all for my brother, a medical corpsman. My brother, Robert R. Nichols Jr., served in World War II and the Korean Conflict — active duty on two aircraft carriers and with the Marines on the Korean mainland. He saw heavy action and brave young men die. He could never talk about it without getting emotional.

It felt good to see him honored. After Taps and the 21-gun salute, the detail leader presented to me, as next of kin, the folded flag and three spent shell casings, one from each of the three volleys. He explained that the three casings represented duty, honor and country.

Thank you, American Legion Post 24 for making the funeral honors possible through these dedicated veterans that have given so much of their time honoring those that have gone before. They have served 22 funerals already this year and 42 services last year. They will be at the Poole’s Bluff Memorial day service on May 28, and as well as three other events the same day. That is an inspiration to us all.

John Nichols

Bogalusa