Vision of Five Hearses Reminder of Tragic Losses
It was a tragic scene in Wootton Bassett in the United Kingdom this week. Five hearses lined up in the small Wiltshire town to carry fallen British soldiers who gave their lives overseas.
As the five hearses drove through the town from St. Bartholomew’s Church, thousands of mourners lined the streets to pay their respects. This was the second time in recent years when five hearses were needed to accommodate the number of soldiers coming back to their homeland in a body bag.
Private Robbie Laws was one of the soldiers getting carried in these funeral cars. He died during Operation Panther’s Claw when the armored vehicle in which he was riding got hit by a rocket grenade. Twenty of his old classmates were in attendance to pay their respects. Nine other soldiers who served with him were also there. All 29 people from these two groups had two things in common – they knew Robbie Laws and they were all 18 years old.
“He’d always make you laugh,” said Phil Warren, one of Robbie’s friends. Another friend – Adrian Smith – said Robbie was “One of the funniest guys you could know.”
Stories like this really put things into perspective. When you see five hearses at one time carrying soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice, it makes you wonder if we are still doing the right thing. What do you think?
Filed Under: Funeral Cars
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