Patrick K. O'Donnell

And they bring the remains back on the Olympia.

I mean, there's quite a bit of drama on that voyage, believe it or not.

The actual casket itself is so large that they lash it to the deck of the Olympia.

And the Olympia goes through great storms.

And it nearly goes overboard.

But the body bearers and some of the men in the crew actually uplash themselves to the remains.

And they bring it home.

then there's the procession and many great speakers warren harding it's the first time that there's a a nationwide radio address from you know these very grounds that we're seeing right now and uh there's several speakers but the the the final speaker is one of my favorites and his his war staff is still in the small museum that is behind the tomb and this is chief plenty clues they they bring a

a native american war chief to to preside over the final uh part of the ceremony and it's sort of a it's a healing in many ways of the nation uh you know it's as he's presiding it's a healing of you know where we had fought uh native americans you know in the great west uh you know only decades earlier and that there are native americans that were fighting

in the American Expeditionary Force in France for their country.

And there's even one of the bodybearers is Native American.

Steve, it's an honor and a pleasure to be with you today.

I think about the men, the Marines that I was with in Fallujah on every Veterans Day.

Last night, I had the privilege to be with them on the Marine Corps birthday.

We celebrated last night.

Marine Corps birthday and just celebrated being alive after Fallujah.

That charnel house of some of the toughest urban combat since World War II, where you had bunkered enemies like the Japanese that would fight to the death.

And I was with some of the greatest Americans I've ever met and a generation of Americans with the Marine Corps in particular.

I was with Lima Company 3-1.

I was with Recon before that.