the funeral procession of one of our soldiers K.I.A. You arrive early and stay late, so there is plenty of time for thinking about the situation that brought us together.
As I looked around today, the question that kept coming to mind was “what motivates a person to enlist in the military, knowing that their lives are at risk?”. There are about as many answers to that question as there are people in the military but the ones I hear most often are money, an education and adventure. I suspect that for most it is a combination of those reasons, with one perhaps being primary.
I don’t know what prompted Pfc. Roy “Scooby” Jones, III to join. As I talked with his great aunt and two family friends today, a picture emerged of a young man full of life and energy, perhaps needing a structured environment to grow into maturity. He was a dancer, liked to clown around, loved to hang out with his friends.
I stepped inside for just a brief moment and overheard the pastor saying that he wasn’t one of those boys that walked around with their pants dropped around their knees. It made me smile as the attendees laughed.
The Houston Fire Department honored Pfc. Jones by staging a ladder truck in front of the funeral home and raising a post flag to half mast. The police escort was a joint effort by HPD and the Sheriff’s department and they did a great job, closing the freeways the entire 23 mile route through and around downtown Houston. As usual, seeing the Patriot Guard riders standing at attention holding flags as we entered the cemetery brought tears.
His time on earth was very short, 21 years, his time in the Army was short as well, just a little over a year. He was a believer in Christ, which will allow me to see him one day and shake his hand, telling him how much I appreciate his service.
Thanks for your kindness