A ceremony for a widow who couldn't attend funeral

Imagine losing the person closest to you and not being able to attend the funeral. This was Nancy Patterson's plight upon the death of her husband James Patterson. The disappointment, however, was somewhat abated when, in a special ceremony at Brookside War Memorial in Jackson, Nancy was presented a flag that flew on the ship on which her husband served from 1960 to 1963, the USS Ranger aircraft carrier.

Not being able to attend James' funeral in 2011 because of her own health issues was a weight Nancy carried, according to her daughter Shelly Evans. But thanks to the Wish of a Lifetime Foundation, Nancy can now hold in her hands the flag that represents the service James gave to his country when he served in the Vietnam War.

"My husband was very proud to be in the service," she said, as the Southeast Missourian reported. Being presented with that symbol "meant the world to her."

Navy and Air Force veteran Charles Segrest conducted the ceremony alongside the Patriot Guard Riders, a veterans' association.

Obviously, a flag cannot wave away the pain of loss, but it does seem the ceremony, the flag, and the kind words of those present have honored the spirit of which Segrest spoke, and certainly have touched his wife. Nancy received a medal that Vietnam soldiers receive, along with a photo of the USS Ranger. As he presented Nancy with the flag that waved from that ship, Segrest, acknowledging the role family members play when their loved ones serve in the armed forces, said, "Ms. Patterson, on behalf of a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a token of appreciation."

It took four years for Nancy to hear those words, but we hope and pray they went a long way toward providing her closure and healing her heart.