thedrifter
08-04-09, 12:59 PM
A long, final salute
Thousands line roads as area Marine's body is brought home
By Karen Voyles, Harriet Daniels & Joe Byrnes
Staff writers
Published: Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Thousands of Northeast Florida residents paused Monday in the middle of a hot August day to stand along the roadside and honor a young Marine, one of their own, who was killed in Afghanistan.
They crowded by the hundreds along roads through four counties and stood at the corners, in the medians and on the sidewalks along a 10-mile stretch of 39th Avenue in Gainesville. They held American flags, signs and banners as a motorcade bearing the body of Pfc. Donald Wayne Vincent made its way from the Jacksonville Naval Air Station.
Some people waved. Some held their hands to their hearts. Some wept.
One sign just west of Interstate 75 simply read, "Thank you, Pfc. Vincent."
Veterans groups were out in large numbers, but so were children - little boys standing solemnly with family members and a crowd of young children applauding and waving in front of Faith Presbyterian Church.
Vincent, 26, a Gainesville High School graduate who was a Gainesville resident for most of his life, died on July 25, eight weeks after being deployed to Afghanistan. He is the sixth casualty from Alachua County since the 2001 start of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the first local death to occur in Afghanistan.
Vincent's parents, Lee and Betty Sue Vincent, said Monday they were amazed to see so many people as they made their way back to Gainesville.
"It was just unbelievably awesome," his mother said. "At every turn there were people along the road, waving flags and showing support for our son and our family."
It was a sign of what the young man stood for, his father said. It was especially touching, he said, to see young children and young adults along the route saluting Vincent.
"I've never seen so many people take their time to recognize a fallen Marine," he said. "It's an acknowledgment to his devotion and duty to the United States and his family.
"This has truly turned out to be a community recognition for Wayne."
Kyle McKaig led his 13-year-old son, Jackson, and 11-year-old daughter, Karoline, out to County Road 241 on Monday afternoon to see Vincent's procession roll past.
"I wanted to show them what it means to show respect when someone gives their life for their country," McKaig said.
About a mile north of the McKaig family, Vietnam veteran Woody Johnson, who served in the Air Force, said he was thinking of his two sons in the Marine Corps as he waited to salute the hearse carrying Vincent's body.
Johnson's oldest son recently completed his military service, and his youngest son is due home from the Middle East in about a month.
"Our family has been so blessed," Johnson said. "I wanted to be here to respect this Marine's family."
Nancy Hilton and her five children, all between the ages of 5 and 15, were standing with friends waiting for the procession to pass. Hilton said having her children stand alongside a county road in the heat of the day was another way to teach her kids to respect what others have done for them.
"I explained to them that he was killed fighting for the cause of freedom," Hilton said.
Across from the Hilton family were three Alachua County Sheriff's Office detectives, John Abran, Jeff Everdyke and Peter King, the last a retired 20-year member of the U.S. Army Reserves. Each detective stood at attention and saluted until the final vehicle in the procession had passed.
Several people, including a few utility workers and other public employees, said they had planned their day to coincide with the procession's route.
"I know that my boss would not want to know that I was here on my work time, but I also know that he would want me to be here, and so I am here," one utility worker said.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, family and friends of the fallen Marine met at the Hunters Crossing Publix parking lot. Their nine-vehicle convoy, led by a hearse from Williams-Thomas Funeral Home, wound its way to Jacksonville, through Starke and Orange Park, cities that in a few hours would turn out in a big way to show their support.
On the rear windows of two vans, including the one driven by Vincent's father, were signs honoring the "Son, Brother, Uncle, Friend, Hero, MARINE."
The convoy stopped in the parking lot of the Orange Park Kennel Club and met up with other family members and friends and with law enforcement escorts. Just before 11 a.m., the convoy, now much longer, wound its way onto the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Already, Navy personnel and others had begun to line the streets inside the base.
At 11:04 a.m., a Kalitta Charters jet carrying Vincent's body landed and taxied near the hearse. The casket was lowered from the jet.
As Vincent's family gathered at the edge of the runway, a Marine Corps honor guard from Blount Island solemnly ushered the casket from the plane to the back of the hearse.
Despite a short-lived rain shower, the 5,000 to 6,000 people lining the Naval Air Station roads held their posts in silence, as the long procession left the base on its way to Gainesville. The Navy service members and civilians stood saluting or holding their hands to their hearts to honor Vincent and his family as they passed.
Along the way, fire officials, state workers, soldiers at Camp Blanding and area residents stood along the roadsides. Hundreds lined U.S. 301 in Starke. Some held signs honoring the fallen Marine. "Thank you" read one sign. Next to it another one read "For Freedom."
The procession, which arrived shortly before 2 p.m. at Williams-Thomas Funeral Home on Northwest 143rd Street, involved coordination among 11 law enforcement agencies, Alachua County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Steve Maynard said.
As the home agency, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office surrounded the hearse with four motorcycles and two squad cars, in front and behind. They traveled slowly, for safety reasons, but the motorcade never stopped for a traffic light or was halted by other cars.
Maynard said the idea of escorting Vincent's body home came after he saw a video of a similar procession honoring Army Sgt. John Beale of Riverdale, Ga.
"I saw that and said, 'Why not do that here?' " Maynard said. "And the sheriff said, 'Yes, and we need to do this for all Alachua County residents killed in combat.' "
The turnout, Maynard said, was "pretty awesome."
Betty Sue and Lee Vincent said they wanted to thank the community, the organizations and the law enforcement agencies involved in Monday's procession "for showing their support, love and respect."
Visitation was Monday evening. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Westside Baptist Church, 10000 Newberry Road. Burial is at Forest Meadows Cemetery-Central, 4100 N.W. 39th Ave.
Ellie
Thousands line roads as area Marine's body is brought home
By Karen Voyles, Harriet Daniels & Joe Byrnes
Staff writers
Published: Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Thousands of Northeast Florida residents paused Monday in the middle of a hot August day to stand along the roadside and honor a young Marine, one of their own, who was killed in Afghanistan.
They crowded by the hundreds along roads through four counties and stood at the corners, in the medians and on the sidewalks along a 10-mile stretch of 39th Avenue in Gainesville. They held American flags, signs and banners as a motorcade bearing the body of Pfc. Donald Wayne Vincent made its way from the Jacksonville Naval Air Station.
Some people waved. Some held their hands to their hearts. Some wept.
One sign just west of Interstate 75 simply read, "Thank you, Pfc. Vincent."
Veterans groups were out in large numbers, but so were children - little boys standing solemnly with family members and a crowd of young children applauding and waving in front of Faith Presbyterian Church.
Vincent, 26, a Gainesville High School graduate who was a Gainesville resident for most of his life, died on July 25, eight weeks after being deployed to Afghanistan. He is the sixth casualty from Alachua County since the 2001 start of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the first local death to occur in Afghanistan.
Vincent's parents, Lee and Betty Sue Vincent, said Monday they were amazed to see so many people as they made their way back to Gainesville.
"It was just unbelievably awesome," his mother said. "At every turn there were people along the road, waving flags and showing support for our son and our family."
It was a sign of what the young man stood for, his father said. It was especially touching, he said, to see young children and young adults along the route saluting Vincent.
"I've never seen so many people take their time to recognize a fallen Marine," he said. "It's an acknowledgment to his devotion and duty to the United States and his family.
"This has truly turned out to be a community recognition for Wayne."
Kyle McKaig led his 13-year-old son, Jackson, and 11-year-old daughter, Karoline, out to County Road 241 on Monday afternoon to see Vincent's procession roll past.
"I wanted to show them what it means to show respect when someone gives their life for their country," McKaig said.
About a mile north of the McKaig family, Vietnam veteran Woody Johnson, who served in the Air Force, said he was thinking of his two sons in the Marine Corps as he waited to salute the hearse carrying Vincent's body.
Johnson's oldest son recently completed his military service, and his youngest son is due home from the Middle East in about a month.
"Our family has been so blessed," Johnson said. "I wanted to be here to respect this Marine's family."
Nancy Hilton and her five children, all between the ages of 5 and 15, were standing with friends waiting for the procession to pass. Hilton said having her children stand alongside a county road in the heat of the day was another way to teach her kids to respect what others have done for them.
"I explained to them that he was killed fighting for the cause of freedom," Hilton said.
Across from the Hilton family were three Alachua County Sheriff's Office detectives, John Abran, Jeff Everdyke and Peter King, the last a retired 20-year member of the U.S. Army Reserves. Each detective stood at attention and saluted until the final vehicle in the procession had passed.
Several people, including a few utility workers and other public employees, said they had planned their day to coincide with the procession's route.
"I know that my boss would not want to know that I was here on my work time, but I also know that he would want me to be here, and so I am here," one utility worker said.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, family and friends of the fallen Marine met at the Hunters Crossing Publix parking lot. Their nine-vehicle convoy, led by a hearse from Williams-Thomas Funeral Home, wound its way to Jacksonville, through Starke and Orange Park, cities that in a few hours would turn out in a big way to show their support.
On the rear windows of two vans, including the one driven by Vincent's father, were signs honoring the "Son, Brother, Uncle, Friend, Hero, MARINE."
The convoy stopped in the parking lot of the Orange Park Kennel Club and met up with other family members and friends and with law enforcement escorts. Just before 11 a.m., the convoy, now much longer, wound its way onto the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Already, Navy personnel and others had begun to line the streets inside the base.
At 11:04 a.m., a Kalitta Charters jet carrying Vincent's body landed and taxied near the hearse. The casket was lowered from the jet.
As Vincent's family gathered at the edge of the runway, a Marine Corps honor guard from Blount Island solemnly ushered the casket from the plane to the back of the hearse.
Despite a short-lived rain shower, the 5,000 to 6,000 people lining the Naval Air Station roads held their posts in silence, as the long procession left the base on its way to Gainesville. The Navy service members and civilians stood saluting or holding their hands to their hearts to honor Vincent and his family as they passed.
Along the way, fire officials, state workers, soldiers at Camp Blanding and area residents stood along the roadsides. Hundreds lined U.S. 301 in Starke. Some held signs honoring the fallen Marine. "Thank you" read one sign. Next to it another one read "For Freedom."
The procession, which arrived shortly before 2 p.m. at Williams-Thomas Funeral Home on Northwest 143rd Street, involved coordination among 11 law enforcement agencies, Alachua County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Steve Maynard said.
As the home agency, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office surrounded the hearse with four motorcycles and two squad cars, in front and behind. They traveled slowly, for safety reasons, but the motorcade never stopped for a traffic light or was halted by other cars.
Maynard said the idea of escorting Vincent's body home came after he saw a video of a similar procession honoring Army Sgt. John Beale of Riverdale, Ga.
"I saw that and said, 'Why not do that here?' " Maynard said. "And the sheriff said, 'Yes, and we need to do this for all Alachua County residents killed in combat.' "
The turnout, Maynard said, was "pretty awesome."
Betty Sue and Lee Vincent said they wanted to thank the community, the organizations and the law enforcement agencies involved in Monday's procession "for showing their support, love and respect."
Visitation was Monday evening. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Westside Baptist Church, 10000 Newberry Road. Burial is at Forest Meadows Cemetery-Central, 4100 N.W. 39th Ave.
Ellie