The year was 1960, at Sawtelle Veterans’ cemetery in Los
Angeles, a flag-draped casket honored a sailor. A memorial service
for a single father of four sons who survived the Second World War
only to lose to cancer at 49 years old.
It was the 17-year-old son, also a sailor, caught up in his
youth and the freshness of life, who chose not to be at his
father’s memorial and for 40 years he lived with the emptiness of
the loss.
The year was 1960, at Sawtelle Veterans’ cemetery in Los Angeles, a flag-draped casket honored a sailor. A memorial service for a single father of four sons who survived the Second World War only to lose to cancer at 49 years old.
It was the 17-year-old son, also a sailor, caught up in his youth and the freshness of life, who chose not to be at his father’s memorial and for 40 years he lived with the emptiness of the loss.
In 2010, while spending time with his wife visiting family in Arizona, the now much older, humbled ex-sailor was made aware that there was a flag from the military funeral presented to the family, held and protected all these years by his older brother.
This past summer the flag was passed on by the older brother to the veteran Navy son, with tears from brothers, acknowledging and honoring the fact that of the few commonalities the family had with their father it was the Navy that the young sailor shared alone with the patriarch.
The flag, after years of storage resembled little of the once tightly enveloped military-fold presented to the family in 1960. Not much unlike the son, whose years of burying his feelings and hiding from truths resembled little of the once innocent youth.
Having received the flag and sharing the story of its discovery with his daughters, a new hope was born that the flag could be re-folded and placed in a frame suitable for display in a place of honor.
It was in Hollister, that the story came to completeness for that flag and for the sailor. It all began with the birth of Jordyn Walters, the third grandson to the Swabee who missed his father’s funeral. It was December 4, 2010 in the birthing room at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital that the eldest daughter determined to ask her son’s Scout Master, Mel Tolentino, if the Boy Scouts would be interested in re-folding the flag in an official military fold. The request was put to the young leaders of Troop 400, who agreed to do it without hesitation.
During a preplanned award ceremony at Spring Grove School intended to award scouts their merit badges and other distinguished achievements, the Scouts performed a special presentation honoring those serving our country. Two senior scouts from Troop 400, Tyler Klindt and Kyle Tolentino, performed the presenting of the colors and flag folding as 11-year-old Simon Wilson (great-grandson), also with Troop 400, read the grandfather-and-flag story to the attendees. Simon then re-presented the folded flag to his grandfather, the veteran sailor. Needless to say, there were few dry eyes.
So, for helping this old sailor to know he is loved and honored; that there are good people willing to go the extra distance to role model to our youth; that patriotism is still valiant and beautiful and that caring counts, thank you. Thank you for restoring faith in what family, community and my country mean to me.
Thank you, Troop 400. Thank you, family.
