TGIF
This story has no cats, nor any application to be made.
Still, it must be told.
His name was Gene Baker, but that wasn’t mentioned at first.
All that was mentioned was that another veteran had outlived the people he shared life with and had died without friends or family.
There would be a service if anyone wanted to attend.
Here in the valley about ten veterans a month die without friends or family and are remembered in empty chapels by someone who neither knew nor loved them, then quietly buried.
It’s not the lonely funeral that is tragic to me, it is the lonely life before the funeral that is.
Gene Baker died alone, but he would not be alone much longer.
The death notice was posted online andĀ Southern Oregon chose to honor the life and service of a man none of us knew.
His memorial service had a color guard, a flyover, and 300 people showed their respect by attending.
One of the local tv stations broadcast it live online.
God bless our valley…
We made much of Mr. Baker after he died…perhaps he will inspire us in death to make much of the rest of our veterans while they can appreciate it.
Maybe there is an application after all…
Michael,
That is sad, it surprises me that there weren’t even any friends, people who knew him casually, etc…..
But it’s awesome to hear that the community honoured him so well.
I have always thought that military people are not as well looked after as they should be. Example – when I lived in Spokane WA years ago we regularly saw military personnel standing in line at the food bank with their families. That really bothered me.
We have a friend still in Spokane whose husband is in military, they can barely make ends meet.
Don’t know if that level of care is still the same now or not….I hope not…
Owen,
I have a close friend who works at the V.A. and my longtime doctor worked there for a while.
It’s a terrible situation.
The funeral homes say at least ten vets a month die alone here in the valley…
Wow, great article. I love the view from this different angle.
So much attention AFTER he died. Good point.
Where were all these folks before the man died? Too busy. It’s not sexy to do the harder work of helping that man while he was alive. I always make it a point to spend time with old dudes who come into my stores and I try to make them feel good, feel appreciated, I validate their service and they often open up and remember good things about their past and life…and they leave feeling good. I do that as often as I can.
Fair-weather folks will come out for PR and to make themselves feel good After-the-fact.
I try to make the regular people feel good, in general (unless it’s political discussions online LOL).
I try to make the powerful and the hypocritical religious leaders feel bad (and they should).
“Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable”.
Alex,
They didn’t come out for PR…this was an open hearted response to wrong.
I’m proud to live in such a community.
Perhaps it will result in people taking notice of those still alive and alone…veteran or otherwise.
A similar situation presented itself to me recently as my wife was talking about someone that she had made contact with through work. His wife had just died, and it sounds like most of their friends and acquaintances preceded her. He’s all alone, and seems to need someone to show him that they care, but has had enough people let him down over the years that he is not open to letting anyone in. Better to be alone than to be hurt again.
It’s sad, and selfishly it is even more so because I can see a future where I end up there as well.
Dallas,
I hear you…I’m trying a bit harder to make sure I don’t go home alone…
It is shocking to hear of so many who die with nobody left in their lives in just one small area. Extrapolate that ten a month to all over the country and you’ve got a huge number. And that’s just veterans. Probably even a bigger number who die in such circumstances who aren’t veterans.
While it can be understood that there are those being left who have outlived their friends, one would think there wouldn’t be so many who also didn’t have any family left in their lives either – children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, etc. But I guess it’s so.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention and making us think about such things.
Setting aside the “cult of the military” and “Our Troops” worship it is wonderful to see you guys doing what COTM and OT never do.
When our military men and women become vets they are dropped from the radar like invisible people.
Oh how we step up to the bar for “our troops” and do all kinds of wonderful things for “our troops.”
But then reality sets in and the once honored are soon enough forgotten and discarded like yesterday’s newspaper.
In my generation those who fought in the jungles of Vietnam came home expecting honor and appreciation.
They all got a rude awakening when they realized no one cared.
And that no one even focused on what they had “just done for their country.”
In fact they found rejection by many.
What you people have done is head and shoulders above what the cult of the military can ever do for these people.
The tired and worn out cult of the military slogan, “For our troops” always rings hollow.
But what you people have done rings out loud and clear to all who have ear to hear and eyes to see!!!
“They didnāt come out for PR”
Then where were they before he died?
Sometimes people die alone because they have pushed everyone in their lives away.
“Sometimes people die alone because they have pushed everyone in their lives away.”
Valid point. I’m sure that’s the case sometimes.