Losing a loved one creates a void in people’s lives that can never be filled. For Rona Wallace her beloved dad Skeeter Lothringer died suddenly from a heart attack and she didn’t know how she could go on.
Rona’s dad had served in the Marine Corps and fought in the Vietnam War where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. When it was time for his funeral his family arranged a full military honor funeral lead by the Marine Corps.
As the procession went by Rona was understandably distraught but then something a stranger did at the side of the road distracted her and she just had to find out who he was.
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During the funeral procession, Rona and her family noticed a stranger who pulled over, got out of his car, and stood with his hat in his hand and his hand over his heart, honoring her beloved father Skeeter.
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Rona said in a Facebook post how much it meant to her and her family. “His respectful act touched my family and the entire procession so deeply. We passed many other cars along the way that simply went about their day,” she wrote.
The family wanted to find out who the man was.
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Thanks to the post Skeeter’s family were able to find the respectful stranger that stopped that day. His name was Ernest Boerlin and he also was a veteran, having served in the Navy. Rona thanked him for his kind gesture, to which he replied:
“It was an honor to show my respect for a fellow serviceman and their family. Please accept my prayers and condolences to you and your family for your loss. Fair winds and following seas. God bless.”
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Rona was so moved that she decided to share the story with others. She wrote about it for Love What Matters and wrote a post on Facebook, where the story quickly went viral. Her post has been shared more than 250,000 times!
Ernest decided to take his respect for his fellow servicemen even further and set up a fundraiser for Wounded Warrior Project.
In just 8 days Ernest raised almost $4,000 for the worthy cause.
https://www.facebook.com/ernest.boerlin/posts/2056015287790621
What a huge heart this man has and what a great example he is to others. It’s people like Ernest who make this world a better place to live.
Our great servicemen and servicewomen, as well as people who show appreciation for their service, deserve nothing but respect. Please share if you agree!
