Today I attended the funeral of CSM John Keith LaBorde from the 649th RSG. He was my last CSM and the first Santa that Naomi wasn't afraid of! OK, perhaps I should back up.
In 2008 I was transferred from the 339th MP Co to the 649th so I could be closer to home for drill weekends. It was a HUGE culture shock coming from a Military Police unit where a SGT was something a little special, you had rank, you had authority. In a Regional Support Group it is not unusual for there to be more officers then enlisted soldiers, and more E-7s and E-8s then all the E1, 2, 3 and 4s put together. I was one of about 3 E-5s. To make things even stranger I was doing a job I was not trained to do. Now, I was offered MANY chances to go to school, but with ExDH being in Iraq and NewDH working the same crazy hours I do it just wasn't something I wanted to do. I wanted out. I still did what I was told. I still went to drill. I still had issues. CSM LaBorde was unique. He had a way of telling you that you were wrong and it needed fixed without being an ass. Everyone knows what an ass is like, talking down to you, making you feel stupider then you already do so they can feel better about themselves. If he had time, he'd help you himself. If he didn't, he found you help. His cheerful and amusing demeanour as well as a coffee cup were always present. Not afraid to put a "boot up that ass" if you needed it, he was always mindful of what others needed, not so much about what you wanted. The world will miss CSM LaBorde as demonstrated by the 2-4 mile long processional and graveside crowd so large the rifle team and honor guard couldn't see their cues.
As for the Santa thing, well, at the unit Christmas party in 2008 he played Santa. He didn't just hand out gifts, he wore the suite, posed for photos and gave out gifts. Naomi saw the other little girls getting Barbie dolls, noticed where they were from Santa and wanted to see him. Now she's not smiling in the picture they took because she wanted her doll, but I'll always have that warm memory of my little girl sitting on Sergeant Major Clauses lap!
Tonight say a prayer for the family and wish a goodbye to a GREAT soldier.
1 comments:
Sounds like a great guy. My late husband was a career soldier too.
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