Charlie Daniels’ Son Shares Touching Way Hospital Staff Honored His Father After He Died
Charlie Daniels' son is opening up about the moving way the hospital staff honored his father's longtime support of the U.S. military after he died.
In a new post to Daniels' Soapbox column, Charlie Daniels, Jr., shares the moments and hours after his legendary father died on the morning of July 6 after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke at the age of 83.
Most of Daniels' band, crew and other employees had gathered with his family at the hospital, he recounts. As they tearfully paid their respects, the hospital staff and chaplain talked to his family about doing a Patriots Honor Walk for Daniels as he was taken to the hearse and then on to the funeral home.
"The Patriots Honor Walk is military-themed, and it is the civilian equivalent to the military Honor Walk as the hospital staff lines the hallways as the recently deceased is taken out of the doors," Daniels' son explains. He was concerned that, despite his longstanding commitment to the Armed Forces, his father had not actually served due to his poor eyesight.
"I wanted to let the staff know that information, and they said the Patriots Honor Walk is similar, but for people who were passionate supporters of our country, and our military. One of the nurses on staff who served in the Navy brought an American flag and she draped it over my dad’s body, and the hospital chaplain handed out cards with a beautiful prayer he had written for us," he writes.
Family, friends, hospital staff and members of law enforcement lined the hallways as Daniels' body left the hospital, but that wasn't the end of the honor. Local law enforcement led a motorcade that accompanied Daniels' body to the funeral home, with around two dozen Patriot Guard Riders bringing up the rear. Fans lined the streets as Daniels' motorcade made its way to the funeral home.
"With just 45 minutes notice, people stepped out of their places of work, left their homes and in the middle of a pandemic, lined the streets of Mt. Juliet to pay their respects to my father," Daniels, Jr., marvels, adding that the moment had him in tears.
"Those feelings continued right up to when we pulled into the funeral home as the Mt. Juliet Fire Department had the ladder extended on one of their trucks and an American flag hanging from it," he adds. "It was an overwhelming display of love, honor and respect. And it made me extremely proud to be his son."
Charlie Daniels was laid to rest on July 10 in a funeral that streamed online, with Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Gretchen Wilson and Trace Adkins performing musical tributes to the country legend.
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