The Reinterment of 2 LT Justice J. Buttala

Today marked the end of a journey of a previously listed missing serviceman,  and the fulfillment of a dream for a hopeful family.  On this brilliant October morning, Marty and I had the honor of attending the burial ceremony of 2 Lt Justice J. Buttala.  

Although his family hails from Chicago, they chose to have Justice laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, which is a few hours drive from our home.  When I mentioned to Marty that I would like to attend, he was more than happy to support that decision.  And so, we set out yesterday, staying overnight near the cemetery, to make the event less stressful this morning. 

I had not met the family, but they knew about me.  And that was due to the fact that it was my search that led to finding Justice's youngest sister who was at today's event, and, may I say, quite the delight. 

Many of you are aware that I volunteer with MIA Recovery Network, which is a non profit organization devoted to helping families of Missing in Action casualties find information pertaining to their loved one.  In 2017, a volunteer colleague of mine, asked if I would be willing to devote some time to a fairly large project that involved finding families for 35 missing airmen.  She had been contacted by the grandson of one of these missing airmen, Michael Krehl, who was informed by DPAA that he needed to find family contacts in order to pursue this case.   I was more than happy to assist Michael in the effort and immediately got to work hunting down possible contacts.  The number would soon expand to over 60, as DPAA wanted contacts for airmen who were identified and buried after the war, to rule out possible co-mingling. 

Michael really did all of the leg work, mailing out letters to the contacts that I supplied, eventually resorting to registered mail when it was clear that many of the recipients ignored letters from this man whom they did not know.  

And so it was the same with Justice's younger sister, who ignored the first letter, questioned the second, and handed the third to her nephew, Robert, asking him to please look into it.  He would be the family member to learn that this was, indeed, not a scam, but the possible answer to solving the question of what exactly happened to his Uncle Justice. 

It hasn't been an easy journey.  Michael has had to meet with senators and congressmen to aid him in his cause.  And, finally, through his efforts, DPAA disinterred 35 unknowns from the Manila American Cemetery who were known to be connected to this case.  I admire this man for his tenacity. 

The story behind the loss is brutal.  According to documents, over 60 airmen imprisoned in a Tokyo POW camp perished on May 26, 1945, when the camp was strafed by American bombers.  Although 200 Japanese prisoners were set free, the airmen were locked in their cells, with no chance of escape.  About half of them were identified after the war, but the remaining victims could not be positively identified at that time.  So, they were labeled as unknowns and buried in Manila.  

But the use of DNA has been a game changer, and those unknowns who could not be identified nearly 80 years ago, now have the opportunity to have their identities established by comparing the data extracted from the remains to the DNA that has been collected from family members. 

Justice was the second airmen to be identified from the unknowns, back in January, but his interment was scheduled for today.  And so, his family flocked from Chicago and other areas to stand together to pay tribute to this courageous man who sacrificed his life for our country. 

We set out for Arlington early and were placed in line outside the gates. 

You can see the long line of cars behind us.

One of the other attendees was able to capture the name on the schedule sign.  

Unfortunately, it had been updated to the next set of funerals before we were able to get a glimpse on our way in. 

We were escorted to a central area where the dignified transfer was made from hearse to the caisson to be pulled by horses to the gravesite. 

An army band played while the transfer took place. 

Then the walk to the grave began while we followed slowly, in our cars, behind. 

We arrived at the section where Justice will be permanently interred, and the casket was transferred for the final ceremonies to take place. 

The flag was carefully removed

and there was the twenty one gun salute.

A bugler played taps while the guard meticulously folded the American flag that had draped the casket. 

The flag was then presented to Justice's youngest sister. 

Justice had been married when he entered the service, and he was the father of a 2 1/2 year old little girl, named Faith, when he perished in the POW camp.  She sadly passed in 2017,  just when our search for family members was beginning.  She would never know that her father had been identified and brought to this national cemetery for burial.  

The chaplain gave quite an inspiring speech during the ceremony.

I was moved by what he said, and I'd like to share some of his words with you here:

Today is a day of both sorrow and solemn reverence.  On days like this we often speak of lives well lived, of families raised and legacies built over time. 

We are reminded of the young men who sacrificed everything.  We speak of the memories that they never made; the laughter that never had the chance to echo around dinner tables; wisdom that would never be passed down through generations. Today we must speak of not what was, but what could have been. 

We speak of the father Justice might have come. The grandfather his family never got to embrace. The dreams that he never got to pursue.  The life he never had to fully live.

This is the deep cost of war. Not only the loss of life. The loss of the future.  The unwritten chapters, the silence where a voice once belonged.  It is a burden carried not just by the fallen, but by every soul who ever loved him......................

Today Justice takes his rightful  place among the eternal ranks of heroes who have sanctified this ground with their lives. Through their sacrifice they shaped the destiny of our nation.  And now we stand among them, this duty fulfilled. This memory preserved. 

And so the responsibility falls on us, the living. to be sure that the sacrifice is never forgotten. To protect the freedoms that they died for.  To hold the ideals they fought to defend. 

Because there is a promise etched into the very soul of our republic.

A promise that echoes across the rolling hills of Arlington National Cemetery,  and through the silence of every white stone. We will never leave a fallen comrade. 

Today, after 80 years, that sacred promise has been fulfilled.  Justice has come home. He is not forgotten, he is not alone. He is honored forever more. 

May his sacrifice inspire our devotion.  May his memory strengthen our resolve.  May he rest now, at last, in the place he so valiantly earned. 

2 LT Justice J Buttala will be permanently interred in Section 62, grave #966 of Arlington National Cemetery.  He rests just across the road from where his wife is buried beside her second husband.   A touching end to Justice's story. 

There will hopefully be more such stories to share in the future as DPAA continues their role in establishing identifications. But what has really impressed me is the camaraderie between several of the missing airmen families.  

A couple flew in from Minnesota to attend this funeral.  They have their own recently identified airman who will be buried in June in North Dakota.  A woman came from Virginia, a relative of a casualty herself.

And finally,  Michael Krehl,  the man whose driving force and resolve to assure that DPAA stood with their commitment to recognize and identify this group of Manila unknowns, was in attendance, having flown in from Florida to be there today.  

These are newly found friends who have bonded through a common loss.  And it's heartwarming to see the support that each have to offer.  I cannot begin to express how proud I am to have played just a small part in this process, and how privileged and honored that I feel to have met them.  

I was given this beautiful emblem from Michael, that honors and remembers those who perished in the fire.

I close here asking that you, too, take on the responsibility to assure that the sacrifices of these young men are never forgotten. 

Thank you, Justice, for your service.  May God grant you eternal peace. 

The Wonders of the Borders of Scotland

As promised, here was my morning view with the sun shining down on the River Tweed.  Can't ask for much better than that! 

We've visited this are of Scotland quite a few times and we always enjoy coming back.  The scenery is amazing and the people are super friendly.   When I looked at the tour book in the room I was hard pressed to find something that we hadn't done over the years.  (If you recall, Marty worked in Scotland 2 weeks/month for about 3 years and I would come with him about 4 times a year when we would venture out on weekends.) 

One thing I did notice that was unbeknownst to me was Kailzie Gardens.  It is located just east of Peebles ( a lovely border town), and since we had to make our way in that direction to get to our hotel near the airport, it seemed the perfect stop to break up the trip.  

We entered through the cafe which is in a historic building on the edge of the property. 

We decided to head to the walled gardens which were originally planted in the 19th century.  Along the way we noticed these markers.  

They were information signs.  If  you pulled on the marker, a side panel popped up giving you tidbits of information pertaining to the area where you are walking.  Pretty clever, don't you think?

We walked through the garden gate in the stone wall and what beheld us was pretty amazing. 

Glorious colors, laid out in perfection, with the mountains in the background, highlighted this morning by a brilliant blue sky. 

Are you impressed?  We certainly were!

There were various sections lined by hedges, offering different varieties of plants as well as some decorative statues, making each turn a pleasant surprise. 

The sundial dates back to 1811.

As you might notice, many of the blooms have faded due to frost, but some are also changing to fall colors, adding a different type of beauty to enjoy. 

There is a glass house within the walls that dates back to the 1870's and it is filled with potted plants that featured some gorgeous blooms. 

Aren't they brilliant? 

From here we decided to take one of the paths to explore a bit more of the grounds outside of the walls. 

There was a duck pond.  But no ducks. 

and I was fascinated by this row of bushes, all what appears to be the same plant, but each a different color.  Isn't that interesting? 

The sky was starting to look grey, so we decided to move on to our next destination:  Peebles. 

Once again, we've been to this quaint village quite a few times.  The appeal never gets old. 

We parked in the free lot then headed over the pedestrian bridge to get to the main part of town.  Marty wanted a selfie from the bridge. 

When we visited two years ago, we had stopped into the Oven Door Tea room for a cream tea. The owner of the shop is delightful, and she even sent me her recipe for scones, which were melt in your mouth delicious.  I've continued to follow her page on facebook, so we decided to pop in again today. 

The place was super busy and had a long wait for a seat, so we decided to see if we could just purchase a couple of items to take with us to enjoy later.  The waitress was happy to let us in, and then I spotted the owner,  and she remembered who I was by name!   I wish that I cold remember what the name was of the item that I chose, but believe me when I say that it was delectable! 

On the way back to the car park, Marty insisted that he needed my photo on the bridge....with no one else around....which isn't that easy to do on an active pedestrian bridge.  And, can you really even see me? 

So, I decided that I needed a photo of Marty on the bridge, but I wasn't as picky and I'm fairly certain that if you look hard enough, you will see that there is someone else crossing on the bridge.  But I'd venture to say that their presence doesn't distract from Marty at all.  You might even need a magifying glass to see him!

With treats in hand, we headed to the car and began the drive to Falkirk to see the Falkirk wheel.  

We decided to buy a coffee and enjoy our Peebles treats while watching the wheel, since it was raining at the time. 

It certainly did not disappoint. 

While watching the wheel at work, I couldn't help but be impressed by the engineering that went into constructing this 23 years ago. The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift, and is the only one of its kind in the world.  

If you aren't aware, there are a series of canals that run through Great Britain and Scotland, and people have traveled on them, in house boats, for centuries.  Generally there are a set of locks that must be maneuvered through in order to accommodate for difference in elevation between the canals.  

There is a 79 foot height difference between the Forth & Clyde canal and the Union canal.  It used to take the better part of a day for a canal boat to go through 11 locks to get from the top canal to the bottom one. 

The wheel accomplishes this transition in 5 minutes using the energy of 8 tea kettles according to the information in the visitor center. 

The canal boat is maneuvered into water filled gondola (either top or bottom depending on direction)

and once it is inside, and the gates closed, and the wheel begins to turn, lifting the boat inside.

Here it is nearly up to the top level.

Once at the top, it can maneuver its way to the Forth & Clyde Canal. 

It really was quite fascinating to watch. 

And apparently this swan family enjoys watching as well. 

When we were in the visitor center, I spotted an ice cream stand that had Scottish Tablet ice cream, and decided that I would love to have a dish. So I did. 

But it's a good thing we leave tomorrow, because at this rate, with all of the treats that I've enjoyed, I'm going to start looking like a whale! 

We decided to call it a day and headed to our hotel near the airport.  We've stayed here before:  The Macdonald Houstoun House.  It's 6.8 miles to the airport, which is extremely convenient when one needs to leave at 6:00 AM and it's still dark on the roads. 

Here is the view from our room.  We are in an annex off the back, and what you see is the main part of the hotel where the restaurant is located. 

We enjoyed a lovely, relaxed dinner, then came to the room to pack our bags so we'll be set for an early morning departure.  

So we're all set for this adventure to come to a close. 

I hope you enjoyed our escapades and thanks for following along!

Until next time....