They Attend Petes Funeral

Pete had an ordinary funeral, nothing ostentatious or showy. Two straight backed strangers appeared in his small Iowa church. They were dressed in Air Force uniforms. They hugged each other for a long time. Another soldier gone, one said. Our brother said the other. These three had been the only survivors of C Company. In the middle of a jungle swamp in Viet Nam in 1970. From his catbird seat Pete Lansford watched. He was grinning at them so hard that Jim looked up. Pete gave him a high five, but neither Jim or Joe could see him. Thank you for letting me watch my funeral he told the angel.