Salute to a True Hero - XXV

I have written about my cousin (First once removed) George Underwood before here and here. Well earlier I had spoken with his daughter and knew that he was not in very good shape. He was 93 and The last few years his health was really failing, and he was in a tremendous amount of pain. His daughters moved him closer to them so they could help care for him. Inevitably he passed.  My sister got the following in an e-mail from his daughter.

My Dad didn't want a viewing, a funeral, or flowers, so in keeping with his wishes we had a graveside service with full military honors and a retired Full Bird Chaplain (retired) who spoke over him.  It was just supposed to be family, but everyone I called just had to be there.  I was amazed.  He even had a retired OSI friend that drove out from Louisiana for the service.  He only has three friends that he worked with that are still living.  My Dad was 93.  He was buried next to my Mother, where we also will be when the time comes.  It was absolutely the most beautiful service I have ever seen.  The things the Chaplain said and the Honor Guard were just magnificant.  So many people called after it was over and told us how much it touched them.  Wish you could have been there.  My Dad was Army, Army Aircorps, and Air Force and served in WWII, Korea, and the intelligence side of Vietnam.  There's not to many people that have such a record.  The Chaplain even referred to him as a true hero.  We are just so proud of him words cannot convey.

I have written before how much it meant to me when I was still in High School to have him sit with me and talk to me about his work and what he did for our country.  Unlike some he never wrote a book to extoll his own virtues. He just quietly served his country and now has gone to the full measure of his reward. I add Cousin George to my Sunday Salute today, thinking of him as I will often in the future.  It was my privilege to have known him and counted him as family member and friend.