Pictures of the Year

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space:

I received this from a friend, and I deem it well worth sharing.

I will post the text of this message in the Internet discussion forums I participate in, but because some of those forums don't accept attachments, I'll post the photographs separately in the forum's "PHOTOS" album.

Here is the text that accompanies the photographs:


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Here are two (02) photographs that were awarded FIRST and SECOND place at the PICTURE OF THE YEAR INTERNATIONAL this year.

Perspective is a very powerful thing.


FIRST PLACE

Todd Heisler, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS



When Second Lieutenant James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac.

During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the most powerful in the process: "

See the people in the windows?

They'll sit right there in the plane, watching those Marines.

You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home," he said.

"They're going to remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives.

They're going to remember bringing that Marine home.

And they should."


SECOND PLACE


Todd Heisler, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS


The night before the burial of her husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time.

The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag.

Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of "Cat," and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept.

"I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it," she said.

"I think that's what he would have done - - - "


BUMPER STICKER OF THE YEAR:

"If you can read this,
Thank a teacher - - -
and, since it's in English,
Thank a soldier."

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Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee, KB3KWS
Official Bard of Clan Henderson
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

"My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."