Relieved of Duty

At approximately 0500 hours local time this morning a Marine died. Not while on patrol and not from enemy fire. He died of a final, well fought, battle. He passed away while at home, peacefully in his sleep, while being watched over by his wife and sister-in-law. He was my step-father.  His entire life was spent in the service of others. He joined the Marines at far to young an age and though he never saw fighting was deployed to Korea. He was later deployed to Vietnam where he served multiple tours of duty in the jungle. After Vietnam he went on to serve with the LAPD. He continued his military service in the Army Reserves where he was attached to a civil affairs unit. He spent the last years of his military service training soldiers how to be soldiers. At a time when most men are enjoying retirement and spending most their days fishing he continued to work, because he had and he loved what he did. He even volunteered to reactivate and deploy with local units to aid in the Katrina relief effort. He ended his professional life working twenty plus years in security, again watching out for the welfare of others.

In his personal life, he was married three times, losing his first wife as a result of her pregnancy. He later remarried to a woman with two older children who needed his love and guidance. His third marriage was to my mother, when my brother and I were still in elementary school. He never tried to replace my father, but he always treated us like we were his own.  He took on a task no one had any right to expect him to shoulder and helped raise two more children that weren’t his. I think he did a pretty decent job.

At his retirement speech he quoted General McArthur, “Old soldiers don’t die, they just fade away.” I think that is how most soldiers and marines want it. He did his job and left his legacy in the guidance and leadership he provided to younger men. Then moved on. He fought as long as he could. He once told me, “Sometimes fighting does no good. Sometimes you have to put up the best fight you can, then count your loses and move on.” His time to stop fight and move on came this morning.

Marine folklore holds that a Marine needs permission to die. He has long since been relived of his military obligations and often joked that my mother was his CO now. Late last night my mother prayed that God would take him, effectively giving he permission to die. A Marine to the end, he waited for his final discharge before he left. He is survived by two children, their spouses and his wife.

My only hope is that he can now find peace. I doubt he will rest, it’s not in his nature.

It may be inappropriate for someone who isn’t a marine to say so but, Semper Fi John R. Burns. You will be missed, but never forgotten.