A Burial at Sea
Remembrances of a casualty notification officer
by LtCol George Goodson, USMC(Ret)
In my 78th year, the events of my
life appear to me, from time to
time, as a series of vignettes. Some
were significant, some were trivial,
and some were violent. War is the seminal event in the life of everyone who
has endured it. Though I fought in
Korea and the Dominican Republic,
Vietnam was my war. Forty years have
now passed, but I still think about the
days when those of us in the Special
Operations Group fought larger infiltrating elements of the North Vietnamese Army in Laos. When I think of
my 18 months as a casualty notification officer, the vignettes are of disbelief, overwhelming grief, reluctant
acceptance, and the solemnity of military funerals.
>LtCol Goodson enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1951 and was trained
as a demolitions specialist. He was
commissioned in 1952, serving in
Korea, the Dominican Republic, and
Vietnam before retiring in 1974.
LtCol Goodson is currently a Senior
Military Transition Consultant, Career Beginnings, Inc.
Return
I returned to the United States in
late 1967 after 18 months in Vietnam.
I landed at Los Angeles International
Airport, visited the widow of a friend,
flew to Indianapolis, picked up my
wife and children, visited her family,
and drove to Norfolk. I rented a house,
enrolled my children is their 5th or 6th
new school, bought a second car, and
moved for the 13th or 14th time. I was
as tight as a drum!
A week or two later, I put on a uniform and drove the 10 miles to Little
Creek, VA. I hesitated before entering
my new office. Appearance is important to Marines. I was no longer, if
ever, a poster Marine. At 5 feet 9 inches
I weighed 128 pounds— 37 pounds
below my normal weight. My uniforms
fit ludicrously, my skin was yellow
from antimalaria medication, there
were bags beneath my eyes, and I’m
sure I had a twitch or two.
I took a deep breath, straightened my
shoulders, and walked into the office. A
Bugler playing “Taps” at Arlington National Cemetery. Some Marines prefer burial at sea. Before the ceremony is the tough task of notifying the
family. (Photo by GySgt Kent Flora.)
