Public Pulse

January 7th, 2010

Tough Duty

Your story of the Marine Survivor Assistance Officer brought back a flood of memories. I had the survivor assistance duty six times over a two plus year period in Chicago as a second and then first lieutenant. I hated it, of course, but also felt it was the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

My first family was in the ghetto in downtown Chicago, and I was advised to take two MP’s and get a Chicago police escort, which I did. The mother and father could not read. The police were at the door trying to serve a warrant on the father when I arrived. The family had no idea what benefits they were entitled to or how to do any paperwork, and it was very, very satisfying to serve them and protect them in ways I never would have expected to encounter.

One was to convince them to not open the casket, which had been the suggested instructions on the information I received. I arrived for a meeting when they had talked the funeral director into opening it even though I had told him to do nothing unless he called me. It took a lot of talking to convince them to remember their son the way he was when he left home. The funeral director told me he had opened it on his own later and there was only a leg. I cannot imagine the shock and grief I protected them from on top of the grief they already were experiencing. But that was only a small part of one assignment.

Like the burial at sea, the Army had told all SAO’s that whatever was requested would be done. I recall I had no problems with any request no matter how unusual. All I had to do was say “I am a survivor assistance office working with a family” and you had any person’s full attention. It was an unusual feeling of camaraderie with people who understood with only the fewest words needing to be said.

On one funeral procession riding with the family next to me some construction workers gave me the finger while we were on the way to the burial. I made sure all were inscribed on the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington when I visited ten years after I had been discharged. I felt it was my duty as an SAO to be sure they were there.

As difficult as the assignments were, it was a privilege and honor to help each family.

/s/Jim Winnerman
Creve Coeur, Missouri

More on “Tough Duty”

The article from Lt. Col. Goodson is circulating the internet and is truly a gut wrenching and heart warming story. As a former Marine serving from 1966 to 1970, I attended several of those funerals and later as a state trooper in Texas I attended more funerals of fallen peace officers than I want to remember. I want to thank you and your paper for printing this story and to give my warmest wishes and thanks to the Colonel for his duty to our country. Semper Fi.

Glenn Wood, Captain
Texas Highway Patrol, Retired
Austin, Texas

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