In March I made a trip to Washington, D.C., for the funeral of someone I considered a friend. Chris Raines was a recently retired veteran of the U.S. Army. His wife, Helen, who remains a good friend, is still active duty. She was in Iraq when Chris passed. The absolute horror of being deployed and hearing that your spouse died back home would have destroyed most people. Everyone wanted to help in any way they possibly could. The abruptness of Chris' passing and the time of year (mid December 2010) made it nearly impossible for most of us to attend his initial service in his hometown in West Virginia. But when Arlington notified Helen that a wall locker was available for Chris' ashes, the ceremony for his inurnment was set for March, 2011.
This was the first time I'd been to Arlington for the funeral of a friend. Just being a visitor can affect you in the most amazing ways, but being there to put a friend to rest... you can't describe it. The best I can do is offer one of the photos I took after the service, as I was driving around, slowly making my way back to my hotel. I noticed later that every one of them could be described as "lonely." Even with the cherry blossoms coming out, and the annual festival about to start, everything just felt cold. Rest in peace, CSM Raines.
