Ramp Ceremony

[Accord]

3 days ago in Kandahar we were woken up at 0200 for a ramp ceremony for a fallen Marine from 2/7 killed earlier that day.

The slow playing of the Marines Hymn on bagpipes as the American flag draped casket carrying our fallen brother was loaded into the back of the C130 for his final flight home and then the playing of taps, it was brutal. The absolute silence of the brisk Afghanistan night with the only sound being the electric motor of the cargo door closing on the back of the aircraft and then the final "sealing" noise it makes, the whole thing was just brutal.

It was an honor for me to be chosen to be present at the ramp ceremony because when I lost my friends when we were still operating in Helmand Province, 2/7 would always have a contingent of Marines present for ramp ceremonies for 1/6 Marines, so it was an honor for me to be able to do the same for 2/7.

I have a lot of respect for the Royal Marines, I thought it was really cool that every British Royal Marine on the base showed up to pay their final respects to the fallen US Marine as we loaded him on the plane to send him home to his family. The bag piper was also a Royal Marine. They may be from another country, but they're still Marines and the fallen Marine from 2/7 was just as much their brother as he is ours.

[yellowwing]

Amen Brother John.

[FistFu68]

OF HIS HONOR AND HIS GLORY THE PEOPLE SHALL SING

[Marine84]

Never forget 'em Flash.

[thedrifter]

Rest In Peace Marine

Ellie

[davblay]

Thank You John for sharing that somber moment. Seems like we are are having far to many of those lately, but thank God for you guys that that are over there keeping them away from our doorstep!

TO THE FALLEN MARINE, WHOM EVER HE BE, REST IN PEACE BROTHER!

To our Brit Brothers, Semper Fi,

Dave

[rb1651]

Rest in Peace, Marine.

John, give them British Marines a great big THANK YOU for showing their respect to a Brother from across the pond. Semper Fi, Royal Marines.

[Bruce59]

Our fallen Brother shall not travel alone, he'll have a Marine escort with him. At his last stop, another ramp ceremony, there will be a Marine with him to he gets to his final resting place. There he'll be handed off to Marines from the other side.


Bruce
http://wallofhonor.bravehost.com

[avenger08]

oorah to all of those fallen brothers and sisters of mine in the marine corps. i will never forget the sacrifices they made.

[DROD]

Rest In Peace Marine !

[jinelson]

The Royal Marines have always been our brothers at least since the Nam as I personally know of. I have always marveled that their Recruit Training, its like 9 months. I do have to issue a warning to our active brothers and sisters based upon hard learned experience. Do not under any circumstances drink with them! It will not have a happy mission accomplished fuzzy feeling for you. We are brothers and that was earned mutually and paid for in blood. That said I have nothing but the utmost of respect and admiration for our brothers across the pond.

Jim