The first funeral I ever attended was for Jeffery Maloney. I was just a freshman in high school and he was a Marine Corporal who was killed in Vietnam. He was 21. Jeff and his family were part of our neighborhood. He had a younger brother and sister and all had attended the same grammar school as my sisters and me.

Jeff had returned to Vietnam after R and R in Hawaii where his fiancé joined him. They were nearly next door neighbors and were to be married upon his return. I remember the day of his funeral as if it were yesterday. What stands out in my mind was his flag draped coffin with a photo of him in his uniform and his helmet on top. It is too simple to say that to men and women like Jeffery we owe a debt of gratitude. We owe them our very freedoms, that so many seem to take for granted. Here is a link to a website created in remembrance of Jeff.

http://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=229667&source=fold3