To the editor:
I would like to share a story of quiet heroism and brotherhood that has stayed with my family for years, and now carries even deeper meaning.
When my father passed away some years ago, it was my wish for him to be buried in his Marine dress blues — a uniform that symbolized his pride and service. Unfortunately, he no longer had his original uniform. During that difficult time, my mother reached out to Harry Christensen, who was a Marblehead selectman and old family friend. Harry told her to stop by the next day and he would have a uniform for me.
I showed up at Harry’s front door and knocked. He handed me a wardrobe bag. I was stunned — how did he manage to get a uniform so quickly? I asked, and it was his wife who answered quietly, “It’s his.” Tears filled my eyes. I immediately tried to hand it back, overwhelmed by the generosity and thinking it was too much to accept. But Harry insisted. As a fellow Marine, he stepped forward without hesitation and offered his own dress blues so that my father could be laid to rest with the honor and dignity he had earned.
Harry asked for nothing in return — only that a Marine be buried as a Marine should. His selfless act moved me beyond words, and I have never forgotten his generosity.
Recently, we learned that this kind and humble man has passed away. As we mourn his loss, I feel compelled to publicly thank him. His gesture all those years ago was more than a gift — it was a final salute from one Marine to another.
I am forever grateful for what he did for my father and for our family. May he rest in peace, reunited with his brothers in arms.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Teresa M. Smith
