![]() ![]() In every case I've made that walk, before the notification officer gets a word out, the grief has already started. WESTER: Oh, Neal, that symbolism of having a government vehicle out in front of the house and walking up to the door - when they swing open that door, it's almost as if the words have almost no way to really soak into their experience because of what they see, you know, two soldiers dressed in their Class A uniform. And members who survive an attack, for example, or one of their buddies is killed or wounded, they know that it's important that the family get the information officially to make sure it as accurate as possible.ĬONAN: I wonder, as soon as somebody answers that doorbell or that knock, and they see you and an officer or a noncom there, do you they know what you're there for? The services do try to put some policies in place. As you say, cell phones and satellite phones, and things like that today, people in the war zone have almost immediate contact with family members. You know, technology is both our friend and a kind of a complicating part of the story. ![]() ![]() WESTER: That's very important, Neal, especially because of the importance of getting accurate information. So it's not uncommon to get a call on an off-hour, to come in to meet up with another officer or senior NCO, and drive over and actually be sitting in a car just around the corner somewhere.Īnd in those moments, as I'm sitting there with that notification officer, there's time for quiet reflection, taking seriously our own calling as people in uniform, some prayer together, often, and then a commitment to do what is so important to us, which is to honor the soldier by doing the very best we can to deliver a compassionate, though very painful, news.ĬONAN: Time is critical because in this day and age when soldiers have access to email and satellite telephones and the like, you certainly want to make sure that the official process is the way people are notified, that they don't find out. And one of the desires of the military is to deliver the news as quickly as possible. And, as you mentioned about the grim duty, it really does take somebody a few minutes to steel themselves to go up and see to those parents or that spouse.ĬONAN: I'm sure there have been moments, waiting on the sidewalk before doing it, where it takes a few moments to gather yourself. And, often, it's a matter of a couple of hours of preparation for the two of us. And chaplains are usually walking alongside.ĬONAN: Because you're part of a team at that point. Chaplains usually don't personally deliver the news of a death or a serious wound of a loved one, but the Army designates a person of equal or greater rank to make that walk. WESTER: Well, I think one of the most important things that I do, as a chaplain, is to try to focus my thoughts about my role, which is to be there as a spiritual support to the family, and also, to the officer who delivers the news. Pleased to join you.ĬONAN: How do you prepare yourself to walk up to the home of a fallen soldier and ring the doorbell? And thanks very much for taking the time to be with us today.ĬHAPLAIN ERIC WESTER: You're welcome, Neal. Army Chaplin School at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. Army Chaplin, Colonel Eric Wester joins us now from his office at the U.S. Our first guest served for 28 years as a U.S. Later in the program, Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich on the words that date us. Please note: This is a rebroadcast, and we're not going to be able to take any new calls today. Rocky Mountain News photographer Todd Heisler joins us as well. He, and the Marines under his command, were profiled by the Rocky Mountain News in a Pulitzer Prize winning series of stories called Final Salute. On this Memorial Day, as the nation remembers all the men and women killed in the line of duty in ceremonies and parades, we'll talk with Marine Major Steve Beck, who works intimately with the family and the friends of the fallen. It takes a special kind of bravery to walk up to a parent or a spouse's door, knock, and deliver awful news. But even amongst those many thousands of men and women who've chosen to serve their country, few volunteer for the duty of death notification. The United States has had an all-volunteer military since the end of the Vietnam War. ![]()
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