“Voice of the People”.

This is coolbert:

It was not only me that read the obituary of Paul Tibbets the other day. As carried in the Chicago Tribune.

Many others obviously did also. The passing of Paul Tibbets did strike a chord with folks. NO DOUBT about it!

From the op-ed page of the Tribune, yesterday:

“Thank you to Truman.”
“Thank you to Tibbets.”

- Jean K.

“GOD bless Paul Tibbets”

- Dave R.

“Thanks to Paul Tibbets”

AND, this very surprising comment:

“In passing, Paul Tibbets Jr. requested no funeral and an unmarked grave so as not to provide a site for anti-war protesters to gather” . . . It’s sad that . . . he is denied a military funeral that he so deserved”

- Jerome M.

An unmarked grave and no funeral for Tibbets?

This I had not read. But it does make sense. Unfortunately, Tibbets probably is right in assuming that some idiots and persons who are just sad cases period would use his grave site for “anti-war” protests and demonstrations. YOU JUST KNOW SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT!! Even DESECRATE THE GRAVE SITE PROBABLY TOO!!

[this is a hot button topic among bloggers. Right now!!]

Historically speaking, the MOST EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES have been taken to hide and protect the grave site of prominent military commanders. To prevent desecration for the most part. Including:

* Quintilius Varus. The Roman soldiers at the Teutoburger Wald, seeking to protect the body of their fallen commander, hastened a burial of Varus while the fighting raged, without success!

"The body too of the consul [Varus] himself, which the dutiful affection of the soldiers had buried, was disinterred."

"The body of Varus, partially burned, was mangled by the enemy [Germanii] in their barbarity"

* Alaric of the Visigoths.

"A large number of Roman slaves were set to work to dig a channel and turn the water of the Busento [Po] into it. They made the grave in the bed of the river [Po], put Alaric’s body into and closed it up. Then the river was turned back to its old channel. As soon as the grave was covered up, and the water flowed over it, the slaves who had done the work were put to death by the Visigoth chiefs."

* Genghis Khan. Buried in a secret grave site near where he had roamed as a boy. The bodyguards [??] of Genghis killed the witnesses to the burial and then committed suicide!!

* Edward Braddock.

"In an expedition that included George Washington, Braddock was ambushed by French soldiers and Indians as they widened the road to fit their artillery. Massive casualties included General Braddock, and he was buried on the side of the road. His whole troop marched over his grave to eliminate any trace of it and preserve his body from mutilation."

* Oliver Cromwell. As with Varus, Cromwell was not treated well even in death!

"In 1661, Oliver Cromwell's body was exhumed [he had been dead for three years!!] from Westminster Abbey, and was subjected to the ritual of a posthumous execution . . . His body was hanged in chains at Tyburn. Finally, his disinterred body was thrown into a pit, while his severed head was displayed on a pole outside Westminster Abbey until 1685."

As with Alaric - - as with Genghis - - as with Braddock, the same with Tibbets? I am sad to say - - it is so!!

coolbert.