Ramp Ceremony

I closed my eyes and for a moment I was at the bay, the cool breeze against my cheek. My eyes focused in on the barbed wire in the distance and the feeling of being at the bay disappeared. I was on a flight line, I was in Afghanistan. There were soldiers lined up for a quarter of a mile in two lines, I was somewhere toward the end of the line, it was dark and silent. We started moving, I walked the pace of the person in front of me. We are now formed up on either side of the plane, ramp down, American flag hanging inside. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and was at the bay again, cool breeze blowing, silent. As the the casket was carried down the middle of us and up the ramp into the plane, the silence was broken by a few quiet sniffles from the tough marines in front of me. Was this his buddy? Was that his squad leader over there? I wonder what number this is for his commander. I wonder where his wife is right now, and how she's going to tell the kids. I closed my eyes one more time, this time to prevent the tears, and swallowed with effort. It was over and we were walking back to the bus, people were chatting. I started doing the math in my head of how much weight I've lost. 4 kg x 2.2, I've lost 8.8lbs, not bad. Just like that, a man honored for a few moments, and then my mind was busy again.