This is a little off-topic for us here at The Preparedness Blog but I thought this was an excellent reminder to us all to be thankful for our families, friends, and what we do have.  We can all make a difference to those around us, all we have to do is listen and give kindness to those that need it.

MILLERSPORT, Ohio — The Soldiers flanked the casket, solemn and precise, and folded the American flag with a yank-and-flip motion. On one knee, a sergeant presented the flag to a grieving mother.

Around them, mourners with red eyes and heaving shoulders testified, silently, to the mark Dennis Channel Jr. left on each of them.

Seven Soldiers from the Ohio Army National Guard raised their rifles and fired three rounds. A lone bugler sounded taps, a haunting call that wafted over the nearby graves of veterans.

Dennis, known to all as “Bubba,” was buried Monday with full military honors.

He was 12 years old.

-Mike