Four Ramstein Airmen, myself included, traveled to O’Fallon, Ill., last week to attend the funeral of our fallen wingman, Airman 1st Class Zac Cuddeback.
Before departing Germany, we learned that back in Illinois, the community was placing several thousand large American flags along Airman Cuddeback’s arrival route, and when he arrived March 12, hundreds of patriots stood silent on this same route.
We missed Airman Cuddeback’s arrival by a couple of hours but later that night, as we approached the town of O’Fallon, we started seeing them — hundreds of American flags.
Perhaps it was because we have been living outside the U.S. for a while, or maybe it had been a long flight from Germany, or maybe it was pure patriotism, but whatever the reason, as we started passing the flags along the route, the members of our car fell silent.
For miles we passed flags on both sides of the road. And then, as we entered O’Fallon, we started seeing more than just flags. We noticed the billboards, too. Yes, every billboard — churches, schools and businesses — had a message honoring Airman Cuddeback. Dozens of them.
These symbols of a community’s support — American flags and billboard messages dedicated to Airman Cuddeback — put a lump in my throat.
The next day, the patriotism and community outpouring continued. When we drove to St. Nicholas Church for Airman Cuddeback’s visitation and funeral, we didn’t need a GPS, we just followed the American flags, hundreds and hundreds more.
Upon arrival at the church, the entire parking lot was surrounded by flag-holding Patriot Guards standing shoulder to shoulder. Patriot Guard Riders are motorcyclists with one mission: attend the funeral services of fallen heroes, show respect and protect them from protesters.
We got out of our car and walked to the church entrance where there were even more American flag-holding Patriot Guards and even Boy Scouts. All were lined up in silent vigil for Airman Cuddeback.
We spoke with many of the Patriot Guards. Some were locals. Many more had ridden their motorcycles four to six hours to be in O’Fallon that day. They were there hours before we arrived at the church. They stood silently guarding Airman Cuddeback and his family. And after the funeral, more than 200 of them would lead Airman Cuddeback to his final resting place.
And then, when we thought we couldn’t see any more outpouring from this community, it happened. It happened as we began our 4-mile drive to the cemetery. It happened as we drove through neighborhoods and along country roads.
It was on the drive that we saw them — hundreds, no thousands of O’Fallon citizens lining the route to honor Airman Cuddeback.
They stood silently on both sides of the road. They stood with American flags in hand. They stood holding up homemade signs. They stood saluting. They stood in their front yards. They stood next to an industrial-sized crane flying a massive American flag above the procession.
And we were there. We saw them all: moms and dads, grandparents, and kids. Some were in wheelchairs, others in strollers, but they were all there. And mixed in among them were Boy and Girl Scouts, military, police, firefighters and store owners. Yes, thousands were there for Airman Cuddeback.
Although they couldn’t bring him back, they did the next best thing — they honored him. They honored his family and they honored his service. They honored his ultimate sacrifice. This small town came out in big numbers for one of their very own. It was silent, patriotic and powerful, and we were there.
Last week, four Ramstein Airmen left Germany to honor their fallen wingman and they returned humbled. Humbled by the honor shown in one small town in America. May God bless Airman 1st Class Zachary Ryan Cuddeback, his family and the United States of America.
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Four Ramstein Airmen, myself included, traveled to O’Fallon, Ill., last week to attend the funeral of our fallen wingman, Airman 1st Class Zac Cuddeback.
Before departing Germany, we learned that back in Illinois, the community was placing several thousand large American flags along Airman Cuddeback’s arrival route, and when he arrived March 12, hundreds of patriots stood silent on this same route.
We missed Airman Cuddeback’s arrival by a couple of hours but later that night, as we approached the town of O’Fallon, we started seeing them — hundreds of American flags.
Perhaps it was because we have been living outside the U.S. for a while, or maybe it had been a long flight from Germany, or maybe it was pure patriotism, but whatever the reason, as we started passing the flags along the route, the members of our car fell silent.
For miles we passed flags on both sides of the road. And then, as we entered O’Fallon, we started seeing more than just flags. We noticed the billboards, too. Yes, every billboard — churches, schools and businesses — had a message honoring Airman Cuddeback. Dozens of them.
These symbols of a community’s support — American flags and billboard messages dedicated to Airman Cuddeback — put a lump in my throat.
The next day, the patriotism and community outpouring continued. When we drove to St. Nicholas Church for Airman Cuddeback’s visitation and funeral, we didn’t need a GPS, we just followed the American flags, hundreds and hundreds more.
Upon arrival at the church, the entire parking lot was surrounded by flag-holding Patriot Guards standing shoulder to shoulder. Patriot Guard Riders are motorcyclists with one mission: attend the funeral services of fallen heroes, show respect and protect them from protesters.
We got out of our car and walked to the church entrance where there were even more American flag-holding Patriot Guards and even Boy Scouts. All were lined up in silent vigil for Airman Cuddeback.
We spoke with many of the Patriot Guards. Some were locals. Many more had ridden their motorcycles four to six hours to be in O’Fallon that day. They were there hours before we arrived at the church. They stood silently guarding Airman Cuddeback and his family. And after the funeral, more than 200 of them would lead Airman Cuddeback to his final resting place.
And then, when we thought we couldn’t see any more outpouring from this community, it happened. It happened as we began our 4-mile drive to the cemetery. It happened as we drove through neighborhoods and along country roads.
It was on the drive that we saw them — hundreds, no thousands of O’Fallon citizens lining the route to honor Airman Cuddeback.
They stood silently on both sides of the road. They stood with American flags in hand. They stood holding up homemade signs. They stood saluting. They stood in their front yards. They stood next to an industrial-sized crane flying a massive American flag above the procession.
And we were there. We saw them all: moms and dads, grandparents, and kids. Some were in wheelchairs, others in strollers, but they were all there. And mixed in among them were Boy and Girl Scouts, military, police, firefighters and store owners. Yes, thousands were there for Airman Cuddeback.
Although they couldn’t bring him back, they did the next best thing — they honored him. They honored his family and they honored his service. They honored his ultimate sacrifice. This small town came out in big numbers for one of their very own. It was silent, patriotic and powerful, and we were there.
Last week, four Ramstein Airmen left Germany to honor their fallen wingman and they returned humbled. Humbled by the honor shown in one small town in America. May God bless Airman 1st Class Zachary Ryan Cuddeback, his family and the United States of America.