Most of the other participants of the Warshot memorial celebration have covered the situation very well.  I am grateful to have been there to honor one of greatest of the greatest generation. 

I am also grateful to have met those who were there -- some I have come to know very well over the past few years.  But, I've found, it's just like on the boats -- you might not remember a steaming buddy's first name -- you might only remember his best sea story, or that he was a tall guy from Black Duck who could pee over a pickup truck hood, or that you can't remember his rate but you remember that he told a joke that made you blow milk out your nose -- that's only a little of what it was like over the past few days....

A few hours into one of the bouts of boatsailor madness, Olgoat came up to me and announced that he had an "epiphany".  Everyone within earshot stopped talking and stood by for the word from on high.  Then he looked around and said, "Hell, now I forgot what it was."

Well, on my return home, I've had an epiphany: 

When got to the Arlington grave site, everyone realized that the groundskeepers had just "aerated" the sod in that area -- there were chunks of wet dirt laying all over.  After leaving the ceremony, there was a lot of shoe-scraping.  Going into the O'Club for the reception, folks looked for a place to wipe their shoes.

Today I was cleaning up the (wife's) car after the trip, and as I began vacuuming the rugs I reflected on the dirt I found there.  

Thanks Roy, thanks Ralph, thanks John -- even though you tried not to only track in even a little bit of dirt, there was some there....but it didn't bother me a bit...

this was some of the most precious dirt in our country.