He could have been buried at Arlington....

US Army PFC Timothy Hines, Jr. died last week at Walter Reed Hospital as a result of injuries sustained in Baghdad on June 19. His family elected to bury him here in Cincinnati, at Spring Grove Cemetery with full military honors, even though he earned the right to be buried at Arlington. His wife and parents wanted him close by, so that they could go visit his grave with his 2 year old daughter and unborn baby. The funeral, held this past Friday, was attended by over 400 people. It was a fitting tribute to one of America's sons.

The very next morning, however, something disrespectful, hateful, and vile happened. Some idiot a$$hats removed the 20 American flags which were lining the Hines' front yard, piled them under Timothy's sister-in-law's car and set on fire. Mere words cannot express my anger and disappointment! However, before the afternoon was over, those 20 flags had been replaced by 200, planted in their yard by neighbors, friends and family.

I'm embarrassed to admit that this sort of thing happened here in Cincinnati. Hell, I'm embarrassed to admit that this sort of thing happened ANYWHERE in the United States. Military funerals across the nation have been used as protest grounds, and used for political advancement, but this is the only case I personally know of where actual vandalism occurred. The fact that flags were used to start the fire just makes it that much worse. The good news? If these puney-assed punks are caught, they can and will be prosecuted because their little anti-war statement resulted in property loss.

To the family of PFC. Hines: I'm sorry. Sorry for the idiots who do not understand the proper way to honor our dead, honor our Soldiers, or honor our flag. I offer you this song, by Trace Adkins, called "Arlington". Your son/husband/father deserves to be honored by Americans- not vilified. Godspeed, PFC. Hines.


Arlington
(Jeremy Spillman/Dave Turnbull)

I never thought that this is where I'd settle down.
I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown.
They gave me this plot of land,
Me and some other men, for a job well done.

There's a big White House sits on a hill just up the road.
The man inside, he cried the day they brought me home.
They folded up a flag and told my Mom and Dad:
"We're proud of your son."



And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property.
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company.
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done.
I can rest in peace;
I'm one of the chosen ones:
I made it to Arlington.

I remember Daddy brought me here when I was eight.
We searched all day to find out where my grand-dad lay.
And when we finally found that cross,
He said: "Son, this is what it cost to keep us free."

Now here I am, a thousand stones away from him.
He recognized me on the first day I came in.
And it gave me a chill when he clicked his heels,
And saluted me.



And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property.
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company.
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done.
I can rest in peace;
I'm one of the chosen ones:
I made it to Arlington.



And everytime I hear twenty-one guns,
I know they brought another hero home to us.

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property.
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company.
We're thankful for those thankful for the things we've done.
We can rest in peace;
'Cause we are the chosen ones:
We made it to Arlington.

Yeah, dust to dust,
Don't cry for us:
We made it to Arlington.