Veteran Comments on Jeff White Funeral

I am 87 years old and have never seen so many motorcycles in one place leading a procession from a memorial service to the burial site.

After leaving Villa Ridge, I was told the procession was so long that highways were closed for miles. I was also impressed that so many government agencies were present to show their respect and honor that they have for all of our men and women in the armed forces. Present for the visitation and services were two of the soldier’s comrades who were with him when he fell, plus a major general and a senior master sergeant — all in crisp Class “A” dress uniforms to pay their respect.

The music, the vocalist and the bagpiper were astounding. The memorial service for Jeff White, the colossal public response to line the highways and overpasses when his remains were transported from Lambert-St. Louis Airport to Pacific despite the pouring rain are what America is really like. God bless America! God bless our troops!

Editor’s Note: Mr. Smith served with the 72nd Field Hospital Unit near Tezpur, India. He also served with the engineering unit that built the Burma (aka Stillwell) Road and an Army Air Corps group flying gasoline supplies over the Himalayan Mountains into China.