Thursday, 4:30 PM
A somber service in Norwood for a fallen soldier
(Bill Greene/Globe Staff)
The parents of Andrew J. Bacevich left his funeral today as his mother, Nancy, clutched the American flag that had been draped over his coffin.
By Megan Tench and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
NORWOOD -- In a dignified and somber funeral, more than a thousand people today mourned the death of First Lieutenant Andrew J. Bacevich.
A flute echoed inside St. Timothy's Church, where the soldier's parents were are familiar faces. His father, Andrew J. Bacevich, is a regular lector, and his mother, Nancy, teaches religion classes. From the altar, the Rev. John Culloty urged the couple to find strength in their faith.
"May that word of God help you find peace in the midst of your pain," Culloty said.
Bacevich, 27, was mortally wounded by a suicide bomber May 13 in Iraq. As the list of casualties continues to grow, Bacevich's death has drawn particular attention because his father has been an ardent critic of what he has called an immoral war and a "catastrophic failure." The elder Bacevich retired as an Army colonel after serving in Vietnam and is now a professor of history and international relations at Boston University.
There was no mention of Professor Bacevich's opposition to the war today in a service largely void of the pomp and ceremony that often dominates military funerals. The subdued flute replaced the typical wail of bagpipes. Only a few people stood outside the church holding American flags. There was no procession down Main Street.
Instead, Culloty spoke of the grace and dignity with which the couple raised their son. ''Both of you gave Andrew the gift of life, the gift of your love, the gift of faith, the gift of God's example, and the gift of freedom to make his choices and decision about the course of his life,'' Culloty said.
The younger Bacevich had to fight to serve in the military because of the Army's tough stance against asthma, an ailment that plagued him in childhood. Bacevich was forced to leave the ROTC program at BU, but he persevered and kept fit, running the Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 35 minutes.
After graduating from BU's College of Communication in 2003, Bacevich dabbled in politics, working as an aide to former state senator Jo Ann Sprague, a Walpole Republican. In 2004, he worked for Governor Mitt Romney, soliciting input on pending bills and preparing briefings for senior staff.
The Army relaxed its asthma restrictions and Bacevich enlisted in 2005 as a private and was accepted into Officer Candidate School. He went to war in October and led a platoon in Third Brigade Combat Team, First Cavalry Division.
Professor Bacevich has largely refused interviews since his son's death, but he did speak on WBUR radio about one of the connections they shared.
"Our kinship is that we, he and I, had a knack for picking the wrong war in which to serve," Bacevich said.
At today's funeral, Culloty referenced a recent letter Bacevich had sent to his family. "He looked forward to seeing you all next year when his tour of duty came to end," Culloty said. "Sadly, we will not see him next year."
The organ played "America the Beautiful" as Bacevich's coffin was rolled out of the church.
(Bill Greene/Globe Staff)
