On May 23rd 2014 I ventured out of the apartment early with the intention of visiting Bourne National Cemetery and a few people I knew who are buried there. I got about 5 miles from the apartment and realized I had forgotten the peppermint tea I had prepared for the long ride. I was on Great Western and took a left onto Lothrop Road thinking I would go to the Dunkin Donuts in Harwich Port and get some black decaf coffee instead.Dream on. The line in there was long and slow, as slow as if I worked there. So I thought well gee I still have money on a gift card I won at WCOD for Bonatt's I'll got here. Nope went into CVS instead and got some Smart Water and a Cape Cod Times and a Chronicle. Both of which I am still reading. Really cannot go wrong with water right? So I retrace my steps and get back onto Great Western and the 6A to make my way to Bourne. A bit down the road I realize that my Tom Tom GPS is blank. oh swell. Oh well as long as I don't get on the long stretch of McArthur Blvd by mistake I should be okay. Take a couple of wrong turns at the rotary. It is hard to read signs and avoid being sideswiped by speeders at the same time.Finally get into the cemetery. The place is swarming with people of course it being a few days before Memorial Day. the larger flags were up but individual ones were not. I had all the sections written down but finding where a # was and the road it was on I needed a map. For Dick Stephen's section 6 I needed to go back to the visitors center and look at the map. I think it was Patriots road- at least I had passed by THAT a few times.
A couple of funerals going on and I noticed an atmosphere of tension and a lot of emotion. It is close to the Power Station, and the military base and there is a wind turbine not noiselessly spinning away near 6.
By the time I was through with section 6 I was physically and emotionally exhausted. So I packed up and headed back to South Chatham, of course getting fucking lost a couple of times thanks to the lousy signage and heavy traffic.It was sunny when I left Chatham, but clouded over when I got to the Upper Cape.
Entrance
Flag displays and half staff
A SHINING EXAMPLE OF LIFE LAUGHTER & LOVE
PARATROOPER DDAY SO IT GOES
WORLD WAR I- 90 YEARS OLD
MY POET AND SOULMATE
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN DIZZLE
NOBLE SOUL
FLORAL REGULATIONS
BRONZE STAR MEDAL
BELOVED HUSBAND AND FATHER
A MAN OF COURAGE AND WISDOM
ARTHUR F HENRIQUE JR. 1949-2007
MY DAD
MY FRIEND
BILL HOWELL a technician for my step-father
I DID IT MY WAY
CREMATION NICHES
finally DICK STEPHENS. a friend in the 60s, we dated a bit, he was a cop and joined the Army, was in the military police in Vietnam. Came back not the same.Sad ending.So at the end of this trip I finally find his grave walking down and up a hill and back and forth in the rows. I usually leave a stone on a friend's grave, but they were back in the car and I was, as i said before, exhausted. It was chilly and I could hear the hum of the wind turbine close by . I shivered and put my hands in my sweatshirt pockets. Found a penny in there! From buying the water earlier that day at CVS. If I had not forgotten my tea- I would not have had the penny! So there it is before & after the penny and the visit. Rest in Peace Dick.
to round out the weirdness there was a Cynthia a few steps from Dick :)
WATER- DO NOT DRINK
WIND TURBINE
LEAVING
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