TRIBUTE TO THE DEPARTED: Theodore Edgerton

Last week I attended my grandfather's funeral. His name was -- is Theodore Edgerton, "Grandpa Ted". He was a great man, part of the Greatest Generation, and has left behind a great legacy. He flew a B-17 Flying Fortress during WWII on an array of attack, transport, and even rescue missions, but his favorite story from that epoch of his life was that of the Battle of the Flares: a celebratory "battle" with flare guns that sporadically took place at his air base when Nazi Germany finally surrendered.

I loved that story...

When I was a little kid my siblings and I all knew him as "Grandpa Moo-Cow" because he would often wear cow-print sweaters when we saw him at Christmas, and sometimes would humor us by making a moo-ing sound as he entered the room. He gave so much to us while we were growing up, indulging our interests in Power Rangers and Pokemon. It was so painful to visit him over the last two years... since grandma died it's like he's slowly been letting himself waste away. We found out later that he died of bladder cancer.

It was pouring rain at the gravesite, so loud and heavy it drowned out the words of the priest... but not the three-gun salute. In full uniform six officers attended to the event: three firing off ceremonial rifles, one playing that dignified yet haunting taps melody, and the remaining two folding up the flag on the casket with only the strictest military precision.

They fold flags in a very specific way y'know, concealing the red stripes in a triangle of blue and stars. . . as if to enclose wounds in the cold majesty of midnight's full embrace.

Below is part of a song that was recited at the funeral, by special request of my grandpa in his will. I've been unable to find the full lyrics; the song is "Sense of Humor" by folk singer Don White:

All his children knew that he was dying
when he asked them all to gather at his side.
He spoke to them about the joyousness of living
from the perspective of a man about to die.
"My love for you is what I leave behind me.
You'll see my love in everything you are.
When I am gone and you want to find me,
believe me you won't need to look too far.

I will be your sense of humor.
I'll be your integrity.
Each time you find the strength to persevere,
right inside that strength is where I'll be."




This montage picture was actually made a little over two years ago as a Christmas present for him. The source images include both recent and scrap booked photographs from my grandpa's past, including a pencil sketch of his likeness that was a souvenir during his tour in Europe and a few pictures of B-17s scanned from newspapers of the era. And yes, there are repeats. Please don't bring it up.