(This column had already been composed when the news came of a later award of the Medal of Honor to a US Marine by the President)

Medal of Honor
Awarded to

Mike Monsoor
US Navy

For giving up his life in Iraq, as he jumped on and covered with his body a live grenade that had been thrown near a large group of Navy Seals that was passing by.

Later during Mike Monsoor's funeral at Ft. Rosecrans Cemetary, in San Diego, California, the six pallbarers removed the Rosewood casket from the hearse.  Lined up on each side of the path of the casket from the hearse to the burial site were members of Mike Monsoor's family, fellow sailors and many others there to pay their final respects to an American Hero.

What the large group did not know at that time was the presence of every Navy Seal (45 of them to be exact) that Mike Monsoor saved that day.  They were scattered out in the long lines of people extending from the hearse to the grave site. 

What the large group did not know was the fact that every Navy Seal (45 to be exact) that Mike Monsoor saved that day was scattered throughout the column of people extending from the hearse to the grave site.

As the pallbearers carried the Rosewood Casket down the column of people to the grave site, the column would collapse behind and form a group of people following the casket.

Every time the casket passed a Navy Seal, he would remove his Gold Trident Pin from his uniform and slap it down hard, causing the Gold Trident Pin to embed itself into the top of the wooden casket!  Then, one by one, each Seal would step back and salute Mike Monsoor!

For those who don't know what a trident pin is, here is the definition.

After one completes the Basic Navy Seals Program which lasts for three weeks and is followed by Seal Qualification Training, which is 15 more weeks of training necessary to continue improving basic skills and to learn new tactics and techniques.required for an assignment to a Navy Seal Platoon. 

After successful completion of all the requirements Trainees are given their Naval Enlisted Code and are Awarded the Navy Seal Trient Pin.  With this Gold Pin  they are now officially Navy Seals!

It was said that in the silence throughout the cemetary one could hear the 45 slaps of those Gold Pins all across the quiet cemetary.  By the time the Rosewood Casket reached the grave site it looked as though it had a Gold Inlay from the 45 Trident Pins that lined the top!

This was indeed a fitting end to an Eternal Send-Off for an American Warrior Hero!

(My thanks to friend Don Armand for passing on to me this story.)