Memorial Service for Wayne Downing - Peoria, Illinois, Saturday, July 20th, 2007
Brian McEnany with assistance from Bob Meceda and Don Kauer
General Wayne Downing – Classmate, company mate, retired-4-star general, former Nat. Security Advisor for Terrorism, Commander of all Special Operations Forces and NBC news analyst, passed away this week. A memorial service was held in Peoria, Illinois – his home town - at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church.
Thirteen of us climbed into a Gulfstream at Dulles at 0745 this morning - Jim Kimsey, Denny Reimer, Jack Reavill, Phil Stewart, Harry Hagerty, Art Bondshu, Brian McEnany, John O’Neal, George Handy, JJ Heigl, Bob Meceda, George Kirschenbauer and Jack Nicholson from the Class of 56– and CEO of the American Battle Monument Commission also came. Brian Williams’ moving tribute to Wayne was played on the plane ride to Peoria. It generated a lot of conversation and remembrances of Wayne for the rest of the trip.
1 hr 45r min flight – smooth and level - dropped us into the green, flat, agricultural lands around Peoria - the heartland of America. The city, nestled on the banks of the Illinois River, had turned out to honor one of its own. Flags flew at half-staff, the local police controlled the routes in and out of the church area.
St Thomas is a huge Catholic church and it was filled by 10 AM. Classmates sat in two rows reserved for us. High white ceilings - sunlight streaming through the large stained glass windows, lit up the interior of the packed church. Violins and trumpets played before the mass began - a fine tenor and choir sang during the service. And it was a wonderful service.
The priest, the Bishop, clad in maroon and carrying his staff, the girls and boys carrying the Cross, Bishop’s crook and candles proceeded to the front of the church. Then, the multi-colored berets of the honor guard, all Senior NCOs carrying Wayne’s casket marched behind. Sharp, crisp uniforms with bloused trousers, spit-shined jump boots - chests filled with rows of ribbons. There were nine pallbearers – Two Marines, Two Navy, Two Air Force, Two Army and was led by an Army NCO - all Special Ops. Sprays of flowers from the various Special Operations Commands laid across the room and the big, red SOCOM patch leaned against the altar. The memorial program was filled with Wayne’s career assignments - “Rangers Lead The Way” emblazoned across the bottom of one page, the Ranger Creed printed on the back cover.
Several more classmates showed up at the church - Don Kauer and his wife, Jim McQuillen and his wife, Phil Burns, Ralph Lurker - a few others whose faces I recognize, but forgive me, their names escaped me. I think about twenty of us sat down in two rows near the front. The audience was filled with brass – each of the service Special Ops chiefs - 3 and 4 star generals - was present along with their retinues. All names you would recognize. The Army’s Special Ops CSM Hall and its commander were present. Do not believe there was any representation from the White House, but I could be mistaken. A few other gray-haired gentlemen in suits, past members of the legion of shadowy warriors, crowded into a few more rows. Also in attendance was more than one former member of Wayne’s various commands on crutches. Wayne’s extended family filled the rows on the right. His mother, Eileen and his wife, Kathy, were escorted to the front.
Brian Williams and the NBC news and camera crew sat right behind us. I had a chance to talk with Brian Williams after the service and thanked him for the wonderful tribute he gave Wayne on NBC News. He seems like a good man – firm handshake, listened to what we were saying. His father had been an Army Captain. Several of our group also thanked him for his words. Later, as we walked together into the parking lot, he told me that he and his wife will be at West Point for the funeral on Sept 27th. He was appreciative of our thanks for his tribute. One of the guys told me later that Williams told him that he looked at the two rows in front of him in the chapel and could see the Long Gray Line.
The readings came from two of the family and then, three of the grand-children stepped up to the mike and read the prayers in their clear, children’s voices - they bore the gifts to the altar a short time later.
The priest spoke as if he knew Wayne during the Homily – He choked up at one point so I think they were friends. The Eulogies were given by H Ross Perot, Phil (Kathy’s son), Jim Kimsey, and LTGEN Bob Wagner the head of the Army’s Special Ops Command.
Perot, still erect and proud, loudly spit out his words, punctuating them with quotes from various more famous people. He paraphrased Churchill’s “Never Quit, Never, Never,” quoted during WW II in relation to Wayne and his approach to operations. He talked about some of the projects where Wayne helped get immediate care for soldiers or helped get people out of harms way -- When questions about what happened, Wayne always replied, “Perot, you don’t want to know how I did it…”
Phil presented a family side of Wayne that most of us never knew. He loved being back in Peoria -- tales about clothing his daughter in North Vietnamese officers uniform and sending her off to trick or treat or inadvertently filling up the rental car in Europe with gas when he should have filled it with diesel during one trip.
Jim’s talk was heartfelt. He spent many hours and days with Wayne on various projects. He had just came back from Israel with him only two weeks ago. He spoke about his friendship and said, “Wayne led the world’s most lethal fighting force, and was its most compassionate man…” He finished with words that most of us truly felt as well - he would miss him.
LTGEN Wagner told his story from the soldier’s viewpoint. He mentioned the names of all the brass and some of the elder statesmen. He served under Wayne and said that “Wayne was the father of America’s special operations…” He left a standard that all had to measure up to. Many project and operations were planned and invariably, someone would say--”how would General Downing have done it..?”
As we started filing out of the church, three volleys were heard. A bugler played the sweet, sad notes of Taps from the entrance as the soldiers loaded his casket into the hearse. Afterwards, the crowd surged around Kathy as literally hundreds tried to comfort her. A C-130 roared overhead in a fly-by to end the ceremony at the church.
Finally, the family climbed into white limos and slowly drove behind a police escort to the reception. Lots of people stood on street corners or watched from their porches as the procession filed past. Police and State police blocked all the roads – lots of town people taking care of one of their home town guys. He was their hero, and ours, being laid to eternal rest.
The reception was held at the Peoria Country Club on the bluffs above the Illinois River. The large building with rambling terraces and rooms up and down stairs hosted the many hundreds that came. Good food was piled on tables, many tales about Wayne heard from the groups that milled about the cookies and shrimp and roast beef sandwiches. Brian Williams and Lisa Meyers, and the rest of the NBC contingent of twelve stayed throughout the reception, and were genuinely interested in relaying their regard for and affection for Wayne.
At 2 o’clock, we loaded up and headed for the airport. Good conversations and we were back on the ground at Dulles by 5:30 EST. We were all very thankful to Jim Kimsey for flying us out there.
A moving ceremony – many stories told – and a great man, patriot, soldier, and family man was given a terrific send off. He will receive many military honors at West Point and I am sure the US Marines guarding the halls of heaven will welcome him as he arrives at the Pearly Gates. He will be buried at West Point on Sept 27. That is the first of a three day reunion weekend for our class – many of us will attend the early burial before the reunion begins.
Emerson wrote…”When nature takes from us an individual such as this, we immediately look to the horizon for a successor. But, there is none….and none will come. For his class is extinguished with him….”
We classmates and company mates will miss him… Be Thou at Peace!