Escorting a fellow soldier "home"

[Robswashashore]

I was just thinking about a story my my father (a Master Sgt in USAAF during WWII) used to tell about how once he was assigned to escort the body of a soldier home. Of course the trip was by train. The boy had died in a training accident. Dad said that at first it seemed like a good assignment, got him off the base, maybe some home cooking, etc. but it turned out to be very awkward, as the boy's sisters and mother wanted to talk about the poor kid and my father, being a 21 yo kid himself, was a typical guy and "not very good at talking with grieving women about stuff."

 

Any of you veterans out their ever have to perform this kind of sad duty?

[Robswashashore]

Hmmm, wait a minute, since you are guys and not very good at talking about stuff...

[brad k]

I knew A platoon sgt that had to escort the body of one of his soldiers home for burial after a live fire training accident, at some time afterwards when the ballistics results came back it was found that he was the shooter! I think the leadership had a pretty good idea about that and is probably why he got the duty, his only punishment that I know of was a transfer to germany but I'm sure he has never forgotten the faces of the young mans family.

[willysmb44]

Hmmm, wait a minute, since you are guys and not very good at talking about stuff...

There's a reason for that.

Been there, done that, don't think it's makes for good times writing about it.