A friend sent me this. Just read it.

I do not know if this is true or not but I have known quite a few Marines and this IS the type of thing one of them would do.

I have been on noticification details. I would rather be in a battle than have to tell a family that they just lost a loved one.

Have any of you had to do that??? You drive up and tell them news that will change their life forever. No good way to do it.

"

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. “Your son is here,” she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the pat...ient’s eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he... dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her, “Who was that man?” he asked.

The nurse was startled, “He was your father,” she answered.

“No, he wasn’t,” the Marine replied. “I never saw him before in my life.”

“Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”

“I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed. I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman’s Name? “

The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, “Mr. William Grey………”

The next time someone needs you … just be there.

thanks for sharing that with us.
RICK

VERY POWERFULL! True, or not.

Wonderful story. Thanks.

Larry

I held my Dads hand in the hospital when he died.I watched the heart monitor screen.I could feel his pulse.The doctor said Hes gone.But I could still feel a pulse.Doctor said thats your pulse.The monitor was flat lined.

WOW

I don't know if there's any truth in it, but it would be nice to think things like that really do happen. I have so little faith in people anymore though that I find it hard to buy.

Semper Fi, Cpl Bret USMC 79-83.

My dad was a WW 2 vet and a few years ago at 90 he had what the docs thought was a stroke. All the other family had gone home to rest and Daddy was unresponsive. I held his hand and told him it was OK to let go, that he did not have to worry about us. We were all fine. He spent his whole life making sure his family was alright, starting at a young age making sure his mother and younger sister had food to eat before he would serve his plate. 8 brothers and sisters and Grandpa and Grandma at the table on the farm.
After I told him that I turned around to start packing a few things in a hospital bag and turned back around and he had quit breathing.
He just needed to hear that we were all OK.
Richard in NW SC

JD S., Thank you for sharing this story!
Later,
John A.

Thank you for shareing.Brought tears to my eyes....Steve

There are still many good people in this world. Perhaps we should start looking more closely for them.

Sorry but this is an obvious folklore tale. They always send two people for that type of duty. Unless another Marine was out in the lobby this didn't happen .

I have had to tell many people that their loved one was dead. It's very unpleasant and is the worst job I've ever done.

Beg to differ with you - -I was sent alone to tell a family their son had died in a traffic accicident in Germany in 1978.
At the time, the US Army sent a Next of Kin Notification Officer to tell the sad news.
Then, a Surivors Assistance Officer (or NCO) took over to help the family through the funeral,and any life insurance & survivors benefits discussions and processes.

This may have been a folk tale - I don"t know - -but there has been too many notifications for the results our politicians are allowing the military to accomplish now.

Regards!
John

The hardest thing I ever had to do was tell my 7 year old daughter that her Mother had died during the night. I sat on the side of her bed while She slept knowing that I was going to change her life forever.
Ron

The USMC is alot different than the army. Iwas trained for funeral duty color guard and we still used the M14 because it is a better looking rifle.Two people are sent when a Marine dies.