Last week we went to a funeral for Milton Lowe, who lived at Brandywine Senior Living. Mr. Lowe, who is the father of a friend of ours, served in the Navy in World War II and was a long-time and active member of the Jewish War Veterans. Members of that group held a moving ceremony for him, speaking about his military service, his groundbreaking career in electronics, his 66-year-long love affair with his wife, Phyllis, and his volunteer work as a docent on the Battleship New Jersey (in his honor, the flag that was used to drape his coffin flew over the ship).
One man said that he and Mr. Lowe had worked together on many Jewish War Veterans programs and recalled fondly that they didn't always quite see eye to eye about how things should be run. Knowing how strong-willed and plain-spoken Mr. Lowe was, I could just imagine those fiery clashes.
After the veterans' service, the traditional, ancient Jewish service followed, and Mr. Lowe's two children and his son-in-law spoke about their father. I have no words to describe what an amazing, beautiful, and funny job they did.
At the cemetery, the Jewish veterans, some of them quite elderly and frail, stood at attention in the cold to pay their respects. One determined woman, using a cane to get around, painstakingly maneuvered through the mud and placed a ceremonial shovelful of dirt on his coffin.
Two seaman in blue uniforms folded the flag with their quick, precise, practiced movements and presented it to the widow with those formal words of sympathy and respect prescribed by the military. "Taps" closed the funeral.
It was a dignified and beautiful service, full of honor, love and patriotism. Another member of the Greatest Generation has left us.
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