We stand together lining the hospital corridors shoulder-to-shoulder, some of us at attention, others with hands on our hearts to pay tribute to the life and service of a fallen veteran. As their flag-draped gurney is wheeled slowly past in a ceremony we call the Walk of Honor, some offer a final salute. No veteran here dies alone.
VA hospitals throughout the country have similar ceremonies where a small gathering is held at the location of a veteran’s passing to honor and acknowledge their service. This is followed by a procession with family members present as the body is draped in an American flag and wheeled through the hospital out to a funeral-home vehicle or down to the morgue. Staff members, patients, and visitors are all invited to stand in silent recognition as the procession passes by.
It’s as beautiful and moving as it sounds every time. For those of us who have served, the Walk of Honor becomes more than just a ceremony – it is a testament to the camaraderie and sense of duty that binds us together as service members forever. For me, this connection runs deep.
I am often taken back to a time almost 20 years ago when I joined the Marine Corps and marched across the Quantico parade deck in pass-in-review during OCS graduation. There’s a drill command given when the formation finally gets close enough to the bleachers for families to see their transformed loved ones: “Eyes right”, and a hundred steely glances snap at once to catch a glimpse of their tear.
