Earl DeLong

Common Sense
Blog Archive
▼ 2008 (1)
▼ October (1)
Farewell Earl!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Farewell Earl!
Earl Delong was buried in Birchwood, Wisconsin yesterday, his favorite place in the world. His wife of 61 years, Dorothy, was surrounded by family and friends, the cemetery ringed with burning maples, oaks and yellow birch. The American Legion gun squad had a couple of misfires but thye were backed up by a duck hunter a mile away who helped out with the salute to the old hunter and Marine. The USMC sent three flag-folders to honor this good man. We all sang the Marine Corps Hymm at his gravesite. Being a Marine was a big deal to Earl.So was being a Catholic. Earl lived a full life on miracle time. He won the Silver Star on Tarawa surviving for the invasion of Iwo Jima. He was terribly wounded there but saved by a friend who moved him to the wounded group prioritized for evacuation to a hospital ship. Earl talked about how he seemed to leave his body then to experience the most beautiful place he had ever seen. He wondered from above, why they were working so frantically to save him?His son Dan told this soul story at St. John's Catholic Church in a nice eulogy to a wonderful, small town man.We lunched at The Blue Gill Bar, Earl and Dorothy's favorite place to watch the Packers. People agreed that Earl was now in a position to order the Packers to start playing some defense. Small town businessmen talked about how the economy would be in great shape if the government had defended virtuous business people like Earl instead selling out to the Wall Street Bankers and crooks. There was a slide show of Earl and Dorothy with all their kids and grandkids and friends that sparked all kinds of stories about Earl. And all those stories revolved around one, great man's discipline for honest business practice, small town virtue and love of family and friends.R.I.P. Earl DeLong
Posted by Tom Laney at 6:21 AM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
_