“We held our nation’s fallen heroes close to our hearts in everything we did. From the care of our uniforms to the precision of our marching to the grooming of our horses, it was our sacred duty to honor the fallen in ways big and small. Our standard was simple: perfection on every level. A funeral in Arlington is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the family. And for us, service in Arlington National Cemetery was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege.” — Tom Cotton, Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour at Arlington National Cemetery
Ordinarily, I don’t encourage people to strive for perfection; those who do are generally disappointed because, in everyday life, it is nearly impossible to achieve. Also, perfectionists are usually unhappy because they are preoccupied with demanding perfection of themselves and everyone else. It’s not a pretty picture.
But in his book, Tom Cotton convinced me that perfection was a goal worth striving for, on every level, if a person served on The Old Guard, as he did. There must be times, unseen by anyone else, where members of The Old Guard make mistakes, but they carry on. In the heat of vicious summer weather, a member might faint, and without missing a beat, a colleague would pick him up and carry him off—perfectly.
I think that what makes the members of the Old Guard so successful is their heartfelt dedication to serve fallen members and their families, the understanding that every funeral is important and unique, that performing perfectly is a way to pay tribute to all of them. Their goal of perfection isn’t a self-centered one, but a selfless one. I honor their dedication to carry out this sacred duty, serving the living and the fallen.
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