Rest Easy

We recently had a final salute for a veteran who passed away while inpatient here at the Veterans hospital. A call went out to all employees that there would be a dignified transfer of a deceased veteran, and we were all invited to participate. I’ve done a few of them since starting work here and yes, it can choke you up by its simple grace.

Called Dignified Transfer, Code Honor, and Honor Walk, Typically, it is a short notice call and everyone available goes to the designated ward and line up on both sides of the hallway from the patient’s room to the nearest exit. Sometimes the veteran is a organ donor and his next stop is the operating room to harvest his organs. Other times the veteran is transferred to a hearse to be prepared for their final journey.

An ad hoc formation, no one is really in charge, and while waiting, everyone speaks in quiet whispers as the team prepares the veteran for transport.

As the gurney carrying the veteran enters the hallway someone calls the group to attention and present arms. Veterans like me typically make a hand salute whereas the others place their hands over their hearts. Looking up and down the hallway there were dozens of VA employees, residents, interns, and students rendering honors. Cooks and Custodians stood next to surgeons; nurses next to administrators with one purpose, that is to honor this vet and to show his/her loved ones that they were indeed part of a larger family.

As the flag-draped gurney passed I noted that there was no indication of who the veteran was, what gender, or what race. Rank, branch of service or position meant nothing, all we knew was this was a fellow veteran beginning their final journey.

As the elevator doors closed the command to order arms and carry on was given and we all quietly went back about our business of caring for our fellow veterans.

Rest easy troop and tend the fire, we’ll all be a long soon enough.

 *These photos were not taken in my hospital, I found them on the web.