"It is not perfect, but it is good enough for me."
Those words cut through us. Good enough, for him. The Kabuki of grief counseling, of professional mourners.
The end of this story is brutal. Brutal because it cuts through hypocrisy. The euphemisms we use to describe the war dead: Gold Star Families, The Fallen. Not perfect, but good enough to provide cover for what has really happened.
Your stories always move me. They are always 'true' in that they don't hide from what you need to say.
Great writing.
Indeed, the grieving are consoled with medals and posthumous awards as if a plaque or bronze can replace a life. People do not often get to say goodbye to their loved ones but even then, given the chance will it make the pain any less?