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In Memoriam |
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In Memoriam |
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SSgt. Chad Simon
Monona Marine Is Buried 9 Months After Being Injured By A Bomb In Iraq
Friends and family gathered to say goodbye to "everyone's Marine" on Monday.
They buried Staff Sgt. Chad Simon, 32, of Monona, who died Thursday, nearly nine months after being injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
"He's become everyone's Marine," said Jeff Mannel, the family's minister from Madison Church of Christ. Even people who didn't know Simon came to pay their respects, he said.
Simon sustained brain injuries in the bombing in Babil province, about 30 miles south of Baghdad. Three Marines died in the Nov. 8 explosion, including Lance Cpl. Shane O'Donnell of DeForest. Simon was placed in hospice care and in mid-July, his wife, Regina, decided to disconnect her husband's life support systems, following the provisions of his living will.
After a private funeral service at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, mourners gathered at
Roselawn Memorial Park as the sounds of bagpipes filled the air. Simon's wife and their
6-year-old son, Dylan, walked just behind the flag-draped casket that was carried by the
Marine Honor Guard, as friends and family followed behind them. Mannel offered a prayer,
reminding attendees that Simon's life had brought them together and encouraged them to
"honor Chad's memory by taking this unity with us."
"We appreciate his sacrifice," Mannel said.
A 21-gun salute cut through the quiet afternoon air, followed by taps sounded by a single bugler. After the salute, the flag was held above the casket, folded and presented to Simon's wife. Flags were also given to Simon's father, Jerry Simon, and his mother, Carol Parham.
"There was a sense of relief that he didn't have to suffer any more but still a profound sense of sadness because he is gone," Mannel said after the ceremony. He also said Simon's family has been holding up "remarkably well under the circumstances."
As the ceremony ended and the crowds of mourners at the cemetery began to leave, some attendees placed roses on the coffin and stayed to comfort one another. One mourner placed a single sunflower among the roses.