2nd Lt. Reeves was a slightly built, freckle faced, sandy headed kid fom San Antonio, TX. Looked to be just out of high-school and was well llked by all. It became my duty to escort his body home for burial. He had married his high-school sweetheart, she was with him at Pinellas---and was eight months pregnant! Now I was escorting he, his distraught wife and unborn child. We rode the train from St. Petersburg to New Orleans in the coach with her dead husband in the baggage coach ahead. We not only had to change trains in New Orleans but train stations as well. The only way we could get there was by taxi. I had to make a decision; do I stay with the casket and let his wife fend for herself getting to the right train at the right time, or take her to the train and leave the casket to be delivered by the baggage crew? I chose to take her to the train. Our tickets were by coach to New Orleans and by private compartment to San Antonio. It would be an all night trip arriving ten A.M. the next day. The funeral was scheduled for that same afternoon. I was embarrased by the thought of spending all night in a comparment with a new widow and her unborn child. I was not looking forward to the trip. Then God intervened, again. We were safely seated in the compartment , departure time had arrived and I looked out of the window. There on the platform was a flag draped coffin! Horrible thought! Could it be?--I rushed from the train---yes it was Lt. Reeves. The conductor yelled " all aboard" .I rushed back on board, told Mrs. Reeves to go on, someone would be at her destination to meet her, delay the funeral for one day and we would be their at ten AM a day late. I stepped off the train as it began moving. I polished my gold bars, marched into the Station Masters office and asked for an explaination. He stopped me in mid-sentance with," Calm down, Sonny, I'll get you on the same train tomorrow." The funeral was well attended. My only problem was how to explain to the heart-broken parents why it was a closed casket service--they naturally wanted a last look at their boy. How could I tell them that in the coffin was an unrecognizable mass of flesh and bone. So, all I could say ,it was U .S. Army Air Corps policy in accidents such as his. Instruction on Escort Duty was not a part of our military training. ©whcameron 2000