Opinion : A final salute to Vinton Marine Larry Michael

Larry Michael stands to salute fallen soldiers in 2013; he died today at age 80.

The community of Vinton veterans lost a friend today.

So did I.

Major Larry Michael, a retired Marine, died today, after a long battle with Parkinson's. He was 80.

Larry was a proud Marine who for years kept a sign in his yard to announce to all passers-by his rank in that military branch.

In recent years, his health had limited his involvement in veterans activities, but he was instrumental in bringing the Howitzer to Veterans Park.  He did so because he was proud of his service as a Marine and an artillery man; and also because he wanted the Marines to have a presence at the park. He joked about competing with the anchor placed there in honor of Navy man and former Vinton Mayor Vince Blank.

You can see the story about Larry and the Howitzer below, but I want to tell you exactly how I remember Larry the last time I saw him.

The following took place on Memorial Day, last year. I wrote about it that day, but I still remember quite clearly what happened:

Larry, as a Marine artillery fire support coordinator, had fired just about every kind of artillery piece in the U.S. arsenal during the Vietnam War. He got out of his car, in the rain, to walk over to that Howitzer to unveil its sign during the annual Veterans Park Memorial Day ceremony.

After pausing to read the sign, Larry headed back to his car. It continued to rain.

Then as the crowd turned to face the front for the tribute to the fallen -- the rifle salute followed by the playing of taps -- I kept watching Larry.

The veteran slowly made his way to the car, in the rain. But instead of getting in the car and out of the rain, Larry insisted on standing to salute his fallen comrades. He stood, as a friend held the umbrella, saluting, as fellow veterans fired their weapons three times, and then remained standing in salute a few moments longer, as two high school band members played taps.

Nobody would have criticized Larry if he had simply gotten in his car, or even saluted from the comfort of a dry front seat.

But that's not what he did.

And although someone insisted on holding an umbrella to keep the vet from the rain, I have no doubt that Larry would have stood in the rain to salute those who died serving their country -- including soldiers he knew from Vietnam.

That's the kind of veterans we have so many of here in Vinton.

And that's the kind we lost today.

I am sure Larry's family and friends could tell you many more stories about his life and service to our country, as a Marine, and later as a veteran.

Me, I will always remember his final gift, and that final salute.

See Larry's obituary HERE.

See the story about his efforts to bring the Howitzer to Veterans Park HERE.

See the story about his final salute (with many more photos) HERE.