Casualty officer
To me, one of the most memorable parts of the movie, Saving Private Ryan, is when the mother of the Ryan brothers is notified that three of her four sons have been killed in battle. To see this woman collapse on the steps of her porch when a priest and military officer emerge from their car to deliver the horrible news is almost too painful to watch. And yet, the scene is one of the most poignant ever filmed.
This past weekend I was at a friend’s house telling a group of people about Otrib being featured in Forbes magazine. After I described Otrib (to those not aware) one of the neighbors – Tom – began to tell us of his service in the Marine Corps as a casualty officer. His story was just as moving as the scene from Saving Private Ryan.
In the Marines, those selected to be casualty officers carry the heavy responsibility of notifying the next of kin that their Marine has died. Whether the death occurred from wounds sustained in battle, suicide or accidents, the casualty officer is the definitive source of the news to a family. He or she must deliver the news within 24 hours of the death. Notification must be done in person – phone calls, letters or telegraphs are not an option. Even if the casualty officer is on vacation or hosting a party, once they get notified of a Marine’s death, they assume responsibility for all aspects of the funeral: notifying family, transporting remains, arranging funeral services and paying out military benefits. I found this story which has a decent overview of differences between the service branches: Casualty officers carry heavy burden
Tom recounted his own stories as a casualty officer. He told of families that cursed the Marine Corps for taking their only son. He told of families that had tremendous pride in their Marine and their duty to country. He told stories of entire towns coming together to honor the life of a beloved friend and neighbor. He finished his stories by saying, “being a casualty officer has taught me more about life than anything I’ve ever done”. I think I learned something as well just from listening to Tom’s experiences.
