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Mourning a loved one is never easy. Anyone who’s lost someone dear to their heart knows the wave of emotion that comes with attending a funeral, remembering that person for all they were, and saying goodbye.
Things can be even more emotional when that person who passed away was a hero of some kind. For Rona Wallace, that hero was her dad – a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War.
Skeeter Lothringer unexpectedly suffered a heart attack and died. Rona was stunned, heartbroken, and lost. To honor him, Rona helped arrange a full military honor funeral, lead by the Marine Corps.
Many people gathered to honor Lothringer, but there was someone there that Rona wasn’t expecting to see – a total stranger.
In a since-deleted Facebook post, Rona shared that a man had been driving by when he saw the procession. Rather than continue driving, he stopped, got out of his truck, and paid his respects from across the street.
Rona was incredibly touched to see someone honoring her father in that way. Naturally, she wanted to find out who the man was and learn the reason why he stopped.
Luckily for her, her post went viral and it wasn’t long before she got to meet the stranger who’d paid his respects: Ernest Boerlin, a U.S. Marine Corps serviceman.
Rona was able to connect with him on Facebook.
In a post Boerlin shared on Facebook, he wrote:
“I want to thank Skeeter Lothringer for paving the way as a fellow serviceman of the U.S. Marine Corps and Purple Heart recipient. His initial sacrifice and devotion to duty was vital to this Nation’s ability to maintain the many freedoms that we cherish and so many of us take for granted or abuse.”
“I only hope that my actions demonstrate what I was taught by my father; that patriotism, honor, and respect can’t simply be posted on Facebook alone but must be lived every day. What may seem as a small, gesture of gratitude and respect for you may have a big impact on others, as I have learned through the past days,” he continued.
He shared that his hope with his action is that it encourages others to do the same and to stand up for the fallen service men and women of this country.
He then started a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project and raised over $4,000.
The world could use more good-hearted people like that.
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