Scott Pace Memorial Service

Our family friend, Scott Pace, was killed in Afghanistan a few weeks ago while he piloted a helicopter. See the article below:

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/ivp-brawley-family-remember-fallen-hero-20120608,0,7399939.story

His funeral was in Brawley last week, but his burial was actually here in Springville so we were able to attend. Betsy was good friends with him in high school so she and I went together to the memorial service in Springville.

Mirah came too.
Popeye face:

This is a picture I took right before she barfed all over me and her and and we had to change her.

As we approached the funeral home we were met by a gang of people from the Brawley ward, pregnant girls, moms, and dads. It was crazy. I had not prepared myself for all of the familiar faces. The Coopers, the Smith, the Howards were all there. We also saw Ron and Sunny Hull, some of my surrogate parents from home. Mirah started crying from hunger during the opening song, so I went out and fed her in the car, which was where she barfed all over me, and her.

We were struggling to get cleaned up and changed the funeral procession left and nearly left us behind, then we got lost, and barley made it to the cemetery before the service was through. We just arrived as the 12 gun salute finished and taps began.

There were lots of familiar faces there:

The Howard boys, Nick and Dallin.

More Brawley people.

I was taking a picture of the graveside, and realized the family was all lined up in the background. Something interesting, they buried his tags with him, on the outside of both ends of the casket. I didn’t know if that was something that all military funerals include.