Last month, Private First Class Ja’mel Bryant, 22, was killed in a vehicle accident near Baghdad. To honor Private Bryant, and to show support to his family during this difficult time, the American Red Cross lined the entrance of Jefferson Barracks Park while Private Bryant was transported through the cemetery entrance to his final resting place. In order to give you an idea of the impact that this service has on families, I wanted to give you a brief account of my experience that day.
On Tuesday, October 7, around 12:30 p.m., 11 Red Cross staff members and volunteers arrived at Jefferson Barracks. The funeral procession for Private Bryant was running late so we decided that we would honor all of those who were being buried that day. After all, they were all veterans. We spread out and stood on the sidewalk at the entrance to the cemetery. As the funeral processions pulled into Jefferson Barracks, they all had to stop and wait for someone to come lead them to the burial site. The place where they stopped was a foot in front of our Red Cross team where we stood with our small American flags and our hands over our hearts.
The reactions that we received as eleven funeral processions came through was nothing short of amazing. Some family members and friends nodded or waved others rolled down their windows to thank us just for being there. One woman, with tears streaming down her face, waved and said "thank you" through a closed window as the rain came down.
When the funeral procession for Private Bryant arrived, it was lead by four police cars and a team of Patriot Guard motorcycle riders. As the cars streamed by, the reactions were just as moving as the ten previous funerals.
Personally, this is one of the hardest yet most rewarding parts of my job. I highly encourage you, your family, your friends, and the volunteers you work with to participate in this program if time permits and you feel comfortable doing so. It is amazing to know that you are making a difference on one of the hardest day of someone’s life.
I want to express my thanks and appreciation to those of you who have gone with us, and who will go with us in the future, to Jefferson Barracks to honor our soldiers who have died in combat and to support their families.
The Red Cross has a long history of supporting the Armed Services. Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications that link them with their families back
home , access to
financial assistance from the military aid societies,
counseling, referral to community resources and assistance to
veterans . Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) personnel form a global network in more than 700 U.S. chapters, 58 military installations worldwide and in forward deployed locations in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Nicole Holtgrefe
Director, Preparedness and Client Resources