Family in this area gathered to put a portion of Rex's ashes in the Swindle plot next to his parents and siblings, and set the memorial stone. 9/11 was his birthday so that's the day we chose. He would have been 82. He had spent his 20 years in the Navy as a jet aircraft mechanic across the Vietnam and Korean wars, working mostly from aircraft carriers. He did a lot of things in his life after the Navy but mostly we think of him riding and working on Harleys. He didn't want any big to-do for a funeral - actually he had said he didn't care what we did because he wasn't going to be there - so his biker friends did their thing with some of his ashes and we did our thing with the rest. We were nearly done and before we placed the stone a prayer of thanks was said for Rex's presence and impact in our lives. We all had our heads bowed and someone said, Look up at the sky. We looked and there was a C130 Hercules flying low, slow, and surprisingly quiet right over the cemetery. There was that brief slowing of time and pause of the world as we watched the big olive-drab aircraft glide over. It was probably just headed home from an appearance at a 9/11 memorial and just happened to go over during the short time we were at the cemetery but to us it felt like a nod from the Universe. Incidentally, the C130 Hercules was introduced in 1956, the same year Rex joined the Navy.
Family in this area gathered to put a portion of Rex's ashes in the Swindle plot next to his parents and siblings, and set the memorial stone. 9/11 was his birthday so that's the day we chose. He would have been 82. He had spent his 20 years in the Navy as a jet aircraft mechanic across the Vietnam and Korean wars, working mostly from aircraft carriers. He did a lot of things in his life after the Navy but mostly we think of him riding and working on Harleys. He didn't want any big to-do for a funeral - actually he had said he didn't care what we did because he wasn't going to be there - so his biker friends did their thing with some of his ashes and we did our thing with the rest. We were nearly done and before we placed the stone a prayer of thanks was said for Rex's presence and impact in our lives. We all had our heads bowed and someone said, Look up at the sky. We looked and there was a C130 Hercules flying low, slow, and surprisingly quiet right over the cemetery. There was that brief slowing of time and pause of the world as we watched the big olive-drab aircraft glide over. It was probably just headed home from an appearance at a 9/11 memorial and just happened to go over during the short time we were at the cemetery but to us it felt like a nod from the Universe. Incidentally, the C130 Hercules was introduced in 1956, the same year Rex joined the Navy.
Inscription
Rexford D. Swindle, Sept 11, 1939 - Jan 3, 2020, US Navy Ret KO VN
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