Rest in Peace

 

Dallas' Veterans Cemetery is on the far west edge of town, past the Cockrell Hill ghetto zone and getting on to the strange no man's land of the mid-cities connurb. There it is, overlooking what was once a grand prairie, and I pulled up into "Lane 1" to celebrate my friend's funeral.

You've met him, here, as Veteran Crew Chief (VCC). He was a quiet and private man, never loud or boastful, and while he didn't suffer fools gladly he did a lot of good, helping people out quietly, not least his fellow veterans, comrades.

It's a curious thing, "giving the message" to a group of tough people who have done tough things, all under the heat of a Texan sky. What can you do but tell the truth, with a view to consolation, hope, and strength. "My enduring memory of R is this. He approached the Altar with great reverence and humility. I tell you, it humbled me, as a priest."

RS loved the Lord. Rest in peace and rise in glory.

God bless,

LSP

Rest In Peace Chief

 

Far-sighted readers of this inconsequential mind blog will remember him as "VCC," Veteran Crew Chief. Yes, the same man who confronted a crew of motorcycle hippies chancing it out of Austin and swimming in his stock tank. "Swim away," he told them, "But I'd be careful, it's pretty snaky. Man, you shoulda seen them run."

Before that he'd been with the EMU's, an experimental American/Australian unit, motto, "Get The Bloody Job Done." And they did, which weighed hard on him after retirement.Time on his hands, you see. I liked him a lot, what a good man, so it came as a shock to hear this afternoon that he'd died in a car crash outside of Alvaredo, hit by an 18 wheeler.

Please pray for the repose of his soul. Ronnie Storrs, rest in peace and rise in glory.

Requiescat,

LSP