It’s an old news story. It’s also a news story that gets repeated every week across our country.
James Cathey was a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marines. Leading a group in Iraq, he was killed in an explosion while investigating a booby-trapped building.
You can read Jim Sheeler’s beautifully-written 12-part story from the Rocky Mountain News here. Detailing the important work of casualty officers and the difficult moment of a death notification, the article also provides a glimpse into the grief process for military families.
I dare you to read it without crying like a baby. Especially moving is the description of the last night Lt. Cathey’s pregnant wife spent with him - at the funeral home.
Photo by Todd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News
Excerpt from The Rocky Mountain News:
Inside the mortuary the night before Cathey’s funeral, two Marines stood near the casket, unfurling sheets on a makeshift bed.
“Make it look nice, dude, make it look nice,” one of them said.
“Who are you, Martha Stewart?” the other shot back with a grin.
Another looked at the blanket.
“If you’re pregnant, do you get hot or cold?”
One of the Marines who has a child of his own looked at the bed.
“She’s going to need another pillow,” he said. “Since she’s pregnant, she’ll need to put a pillow between her legs.”
June 2, 2007 at 12:39 am
Wow! What a powerful story. Jim Sheeler with the Rocky Mountain News deserves a medal of his own for such a gut-wrenching, incredible story, so powerful and graceful that you do cry and feel like you’re right there with Beck as he does his duty for fellow Marines and their families.
My thoughts and prayers go to the families that were impacted by the death of a loved one - and I’m sure that even now, a year and a half after this story ran, they are still grieving their brave young men and women.
Thank you for sharing this with your readers, Tim.
Robin Richter
Dover, FL