Kate E. Salute
The small room was filled with friends, family and co-workers of Sage's parents, Alice F. Jones and Clavin T. Sage, as well as an Army honor guard from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and numerous veterans who came to pay their respects. Patriotic flower wreaths surrounded two pictures of Sage, one as a solemn-looking child, the other of him looking distinguished in his Army fatigues - fatigues that Annie Cherry says he worked hard to fit into.
"He worked out every day to be able to fit in his uniform - he'd go running, and just really wanted to go into the Army," said Cherry, a good friend of Jones's who spoke to Sage on Thanksgiving. "He said, 'Take care of Mom,' and he promised to take care of himself. We supported him because he wanted to do this, and he was ready. He said, 'Whatever is going to be is going to be.' He wasn't scared."
The Rev. Willie J. Fowler presided over the memorial, and invited others to say some words. Many of Clavin Sage's friends and co-workers from the Department of Sanitation got up to the microphone, mostly to let Clavin know that they would be a support system for him through this hard time. A representative from the Lakeview branch of the NAACP also said a few words.
Brig. Gen. Curtis M. Scaperotti, commandant of cadets at West Point, carried the message from Sage's commander overseas that the Fourth Division, too, held a proper memorial for Sage in Iraq, and that its members would honor his service in everything they do.
James Hosford, a teacher of Sage's from Lincoln Hall, his upstate high school, attended the memorial. Hosford started his Lincoln Hall teaching career in 1995, the same year Sage entered as a freshman. Hosford remembered meeting Sage. "He was friendly and quiet," he said. "We have a lot of tough kids at Lincoln. I remember thinking, if all the boys are like Sage, this job should be a piece of cake. Of course, it wasn't like that, but that's what made Lance stand out. He truly is an American hero."
Marlowe Fletcher of Island Park, formerly of Long Beach, is an Air Force veteran of Vietnam. He has attended 20 military funerals over the past three years on Long Island, starting in November 2003 when his son, Jacob, was killed in Iraq. He was a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Members of three other Long Island families attended Sage's service to show support for fellow families of fallen soldiers: Leonard Whal of Valley Stream, Thein Zaw Lwin of Queens and Jeanette and Augustine Urbina of Baldwin.
"Its tough, but it's gotta be done," said Fletcher. "It's not about the war, it's about the kids. These are all of our kids. We ask that you support them while they are here and pay them their respects that they are due."
As taps played from the parking lot of the funeral home, sobs were heard for the first time during the service. The honor guard proceeded out the back door to perform a 21-gun salute. Scaperotti presented Sage's parents with American flags, bending down and thanking each of them on behalf of a grateful nation. Also given to the parents was a case containing the five medals awarded to Sage for his service, including a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a Gold Star lapel pin, which is given to parents of fallen soldiers.
Doug Miller contributed to this story. Comments about it? KSalute@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
