I went to an uncle's funeral at Great Lakes National Cemetery. He was a navy veteran. He died at the age of 82 and left a widow who is devastated without him. She held up well today. The service was lovely and two of our finest sailors were there to present her with the flag. The people that are employed by the cemetery are always very sensitive to the family and others there to pay the soldier honor. It helped her to realize the depth of her husband's love of people and country. He was honored during his life with service to the community through the "Knights of Columbus."
But, the scenery was different today. I have other relatives buried at that same cemetery. I visited their graves. But, when I was standing at the administration building waiting for the service to begin I looked out across the field and remembered it was only two years ago when no headstones could be seen from that building. I looked out today and there were far more headstones in all the fields surrounding the administration building. Then it hit me. COVID. The cemetery had many more veterans buried today than two years ago or earlier.
It is my estimation with that reality check today, the country has lost many of our veterans to COVID-19. I could not believe the population of headstones in the fields at Great Lakes National Cemetery. I did not engage the staff to discuss such observations although I am sure they see it as well.
We should take a census of the veterans that died of COVID-19 and hold a national remembrance of their service and their equally tragic death. My uncle did not die of COVID-19 or any of its variants and his widow was there and she is perfectly healthy and vaccinated. But, the early months of the virus until there were vaccinations took the lives of many elderly people. Our veterans were among them.
