The Highest Honor

What does it mean to have honor? Is a person born with it, or is it something that society invented in the hopes of maintaining some kind of order? Can it be developed or only lost? Society, today, would probably fail to answer any of these questions—or rather it would leave them open to interpretation by whomsoever wishes to answer them—I wish to.

The United States Marines Corps defines honor as:

"the base of a Marine's character. It is the quality that empowers Marines to exemplify the ultimate in ethical and moral behavior: to never lie, cheat, or steal; to abide by an uncompromising code of integrity; to respect human dignity; and to have respect and concern for each other. It represents the maturity, dedication, trust, and dependability that commit Marines to act responsibly, be accountable for their actions, fulfill their obligations, and hold others accountable for their actions." -Marine Corps Values

Last Veteran's Day, I had the privilege of attending and photographing the Veteran's Day ceremony at the Dallas-Forth Worth National Cemetery. The large turnout was surprising to me, however, I can guarantee you that there was not a veteran in attendance who was surprised by the number of people there. The community on display between the veterans and their families was something that I had only seen glimpses of in one other place: the church. Old and young, male and female, active and retired (if a soldier ever really retires) our soldiers showed up in uniform. Families gathered by the gravestones of the ones they had lost—some mourned, others celebrated, but all saluted.

As an outsider, I can only speak from what I saw and the stories that I heard. In no way do I claim to know this firsthand, but rather as just an observer. The community of military families is truly something of beauty. There must be a bond that forms between these people as they send off their children, their fathers, and their mothers to a place that they know they may never return from. A bond that says if they don't return, I'll still be here. And that's crazy for me to think about. I think it goes without saying (although is probably still not said enough) that these heroic men and women serving in our military have a sense of honor. But what I had not considered is the honor of the families who stay behind.

The families with loved ones serving in our military have the humblest pride about them. I believe there is an unspoken commitment that these people have to support each other. I'm sure each one has stories of their special person—that loved individual—that they delight in telling; they sacrifice making more memories with them every day in order to allow him or her to honor a calling to serve and protect the citizens of the United States of America.

As the ceremony was wrapping up and everyone was heading to their vehicles, a lone elderly woman stood among the many rows of perfectly placed gravestones. She wore a long red and black dress and gripped the stems of beautiful yellow flowers in her shaky and wrinkled hands. She smiled down at the grave, and as I drew closer, she spoke to it softly with a voice aged gracefully through time. I only caught the last few words she said.

"I'll miss you for a little while longer, but I'll love you forever." -Old woman by the grave

That image is burned into my mind. Out of respect, I didn't capture it with my camera, but I did later capture her flowers which can be seen above.

She was one of the most wonderful people I have ever met. I found that before I could even introduce myself, I was asking her about her story. Who was it that she came to visit? And how long had she been coming? And after she told me, I had another question and then another, and over and over I kept asking questions until I felt that I knew her. Her stories were beautiful, and I hope one day to tell them for all their worth, but here would neither be the proper setting nor would I have enough space. But I learned something as I sat and listened to her speak. Honor is not just shown on the battlefield by our veterans. It lies in the flowers that families place by their graves—in the time they spend by the names etched in stone. I am so thankful I, too, got to take part in that honor as I sat and listened to their stories. Not only was I able to honor our soldiers, but I was able to honor an amazing lady by simply giving her my time and a listening ear. It was truly an experience I will never forget.

-Luke