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Monday, November 21, 2005------------------------------------------------------------------------Those whom we have loved never really leave us. They live on forever in our hearts and cast their radiant light on our every Shadow by sylvanna rossetti Tribute to LCpl Scott Zubowski  I had the sad honor today of attending the funeral service of LCpl Scott Zubowski, who died in Iraq on Nov. 12, 2005 while on a combat mission. His funeral was attended by a great crowd that wished to say good bye to Scott.Although the reason I went was to pay my respects to the young Marine that we lost and his family, as I listened to the touching tributes eloquently delivered by his teachers, family and friends, I caught a bright glimpse of the man behind the uniform. This glimpse of a young man, newly married to the love of his life, intelligent, caring, honorable and full of life, brought emotions far beyond the mourning and grief that I already expected to feel. The young man that I came to know during his service reminds me deeply of my own son who is still serving in Iraq. The Scott Zubowski that is being remembered by his family and friends, was a loving young man with a great appetite for everything in life (including food according to his family, he frequently cleaned out their fridges!) and possessed of an intellect that would have taken him far in this world. This was a young man that spent the best years of his life bringing laughter and joy to his family. His humorous side and loving nature was very evident in the way his family remembers him. His older brother, Sgt. David Zubowski, remembers him as one of the best Marines he has ever had the privledge to know. They spent time together at 29 Palms where they were both stationed and David is glad he had the opportunity to get to know his little brother as a Marine. His young wife loved him with all her heart as he loved her. Scott told his mother once that he didn't want to live in a world without Klancey by his side and his mother thanked Klancey for making his last few months the best times of his too short life. All in all, the life of this young man, this Marine, touched a great many people as he shared the spark inside him that made him who he was. The world is a sadder place now that his spark is dimmed although an ember of that spark lives on in those that remember and honor LCpl Scott Zubowski. The Marine Corps paid tribute to LCpl Scott Zubowski's sacrifice to the country he loved with full military honors. His flag-draped coffin never stood alone as there was always a Marine standing at the end of it, and when the Marines changed the guard over him, each would slowly salute Scott both before taking guard position and upon leaving it. As we stood near his grave on this cold, dreary November day in North Manchester, the minister asked us all to join in singing "America the Beautiful" in honor of this fallen young American hero. Singing this song was probably the hardest, but the most meaningful part of the service to me today. As I tried, through a shaking voice and tears, to sing the words of this song, I had an ephipany. A sudden clear thought that we, as Americans, need to take the words of this simple song to heart and mean them with the prayful intent they were orginally meant to be sung with to bring this country back to what it once was. Thus I leave you with the words of "America the Beautiful" ringing in your ears. Sing it with all your heart in honor of this young Marine we saw buried today for the land he represented needs to hear it. O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stress A thoroughfare of freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for halcyon skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea! O beautiful for pilgrims feet, Whose stem impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrim foot and knee! Semper Fidelis and God bless you all. |
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