The ceremony for Capt. Meadows was held yesterday in Midland, TX. Here is the story from the Odessa Amercan.
Remembering a Soldier
BY DOMINIC GENETTI
2009-09-15 20:39:33
Behind her large sunglasses, Angela Meadows hid the tears for her husband, Josh.
She was expecting him home one day, but not like this. She was expecting him home to see their child that’s due in six weeks. That won’t happen.
Reflected in the lenses of the sunglasses masking Angela’s emotions, Josh’s casket sits draped in an American flag.
Hundreds of people — family, friends and strangers — filled the hangar at the George H.W. and Barbara Bush Commemorative Center at the Commemorative Air Force in Midland to attend a memorial service for Josh Meadows, 30, of Elgin. Meadows, a U.S. Marine, was shot and killed in combat Sept. 5 in the Farah province of Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom.
The air was warm inside the large hangar. Voices of family members, pastors and fellow Marines echoed as many eulogized Meadows as a man of faith, a husband, a son and a father-to-be. As hard as it was for his wife and mother, Jan Meadows, both managed to smirk, laugh and smile at the many stories told about Josh’s life.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Tom Meadows, Josh’s uncle, said. “What struck me is the spirit of patriotism, a respect for sacrifice that characterize the men and women that settled in this country right here in West Texas.”
“Perhaps it takes an event like this to make that clear.”
During the military honors of the ceremony, a soft breeze freshened the air with the smell of flowers and roses arranged in the front corners hiding the displays of retired airplanes. As the congregation fell silent, Jan and Angela Meadows were presented with Josh’s military metals and the flag that covered his coffin. With a slow nod, Angela softly whispered, “thank you.”
“They’re really relying on their faith,” Tom Meadows said. “When Josh first arrived on Sunday, it was a difficult time, but it comes and goes.”
“Angela is remarkably strong.”
A gravesite for Josh Meadows has not been determined. Donations for his unborn baby can be made at the First National Bank in Midland.
http://www.oaoa.com/articles/expecting-36767-bodytext-home.html
RIP, Marine.
