Thursday, August 28, 2008

Eulogy

SERGEANT MAJOR REA BRADLEY ELLITHORPE

(US ARMY RET.)

AUGUST 1, 1955 - AUGUST 17, 2008


Rea was a man that you either liked him or you didn’t like him but either way he was a man you would never forget. He was a brave and courageous man who fought for our country with pride and honor. He was haunted by the war and its senselessness and tragedies but he did what he had to do to protect each and every one of us. Today we are here to honor the man, the husband, the father, the grandfather, the friend, the soldier and the Hero and to give him the full military honors he so rightly deserves.

He had the biggest heart of any man and it was made of pure gold. A few years ago a friend asked him to play Santa Claus in his restaurant. Rea tried to act like it was no big deal but he was so excited to do it for the kids. He spoke of this one little girl who came up and jumped up on his lap and she ran through a usual list of things she wanted for Christmas and she hopped down off his lap. A little while later she came back and jumped back up on his lap again and said to Rea, “Santa, I have changed my mind. I don’t want any of the toys I asked for; I only want a pair of shoes for me and my brother to wear that fit”. Rea became so emotional that he had a hard time continuing to play Santa Claus the rest of the evening. He came home that evening and proceeded to try and find out who the little girl was and where she lived. He found out that these children were living with their grandmother who was having a hard time making ends meet. On his own he started taking a collection of money around the neighborhood and matched that along with adding more of his own money to buy toys, clothes and SHOES for the little girl and her brother. He made sure they had them by Christmas morning but he didn’t want them to know they came from him.

Rea loved all children with all he had. Years ago while living in Arkansas he met Alex Bishop who was 12 years old at the time and he asked Alex to mow his yard. Rea handed him $30 when Alex finished the work. Alex would not take the $30 because he said it was only a $14 job. Rea saw in this young boy a chance to be a friend, a mentor and a father figure. From then on Rea took Alex into his heart as his own son. Alex is now a handsome 22 year old man who is grieving as we all are for the “father” he has lost. There are so much of Rea’s qualities such as caring, honesty, courage and bravery in this young man. Rea will live on in Alex.

Rea loved his wife Monna’s daughter, Teri, her husband Jeff and the grandbabies, Cameron and Gavin as his family. He loved all of them but he was especially close to Gavin, whom he called “Bubba” because he was able to spend more time with him. Each day when Teri would bring “Bubba” to the house and if Rea was able he would take Bubba out for a ride around the neighborhood with his “Big Wheel Bike”. He would also make sure he had a pocketful of change to throw out in front of Bubba when he wasn’t looking. He loved to see the look on Bubba’s face when he would find the coins and shove them in his pocket.

Sometimes in anticipation of Cameron coming over Rea would go out and buy a “face painting kit” for the two of them. He would sit down with Cameron so they could paint each other’s faces. Somehow Rea was the only one with paint on his face but he didn’t care. He would sit patiently until Cameron was finished, no matter how long it took.

Do we have to remind anyone of Rea’s obsession with Sci-Fi? Everyone who knew him knew not to interrupt him when he was watching Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis or Battlestar Galactica. He may or may not answer the phone but if he did answer the phone the conversation would be very short. He would say “gotta go my show is coming back on”.

Mrs. Rea B. Ellithorpe (Monna’s words to her husband)
Rea, you are my life, my love, my soul and my heart. You showed me what true love, trust and companionship really is and I felt it every moment we spent together. We stood by each other through sickness and in health even before we said our wedding vows to each other. You always made me feel so special; you gave me roses all the time for no reason, you held me when I cried, you listened when I complained and no matter how bad you felt you always tried and succeeded in making me laugh. You protected me and loved me like I have never known before and I thank God for every day we spent together.

Early Sunday morning I prayed so hard for God to let me keep you here with me but this was not to be and as hard as it was I had to let you go that morning but I did not leave your side for one second. I promised you I would not leave you and I was with you, holding your hand until the end. I am still with you and hold you in my heart and my soul forever.

I am Mrs. Rea B. Ellithorpe. I am proud to say that and for everyone to know it. I will carry your name proudly as your wife for the rest of my days. Death may have parted us too soon but nothing can break the love, friendship, respect and commitment we had for each other. The only comfort I find in this is that I know you are no longer in pain.

I love you my sweet Darling. Rest easy and peaceful my love for I am with you today and forever. Your Loving Wife Forever.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

many months ago, my drill sergeant asked me why i joined the army. i told him of the man that i spent many summers with as a young man. of the respect he comanded- that others offered freely. of the man that gave me my first high-and-tight. of the man that tought me how to tie a swiss seat and "repel" down his pine trees in the back yard. he was a hero to a young man and to a greatful country.
im not sure if he ever truely knew how much those years meant to myself and my younger brother. every day was a great adventure. if we were not drowning in his tent in the middle of no-where in the middle of the night, or shooting blow darts at a stuffed bear that sat helplessly on his living room coutch, we were without a doubt creating memories that i hold second to none.
my father taught me how to be a man, but Rea instilled things in me that i could have otherwise never learned. i remember looking at his jump wings- his German jump wings in particular- and thinking i want to be like that one day.
he was my hero- my superman. a gaint of a man- only surpassed by the greatness of his heart.
i will never forget you Rea. i only hope that i could be half the soldier that you were.
rest well my friend.
ARMY STRONG!
PFC Jonathan M deLeon
US Army- Ft. Huachuca AZ

Unknown said...

My name is Kelly Kortman. I was in the same unit with him at Schofield Barracks from 1986-1988. Initially I was attached to the headquarters unit as a mortarman and a dragongunner. However during "squad arteps" I was attached to his platoon. During that operation we were walking through some very thick brush, I had just surrendered the lead position when another Sargeant (Ralston) was asked to move into the lead position. In mere moments Sargeant Ralston began sliding down a slippery ravine that literally threw him some 100 feet down a cliff and onto some rocks. Sargent Ellithorpe sprang into action, grabbed me for some reason and off we went on a rescue mission to save Sargeant Ralston. Using a map and a compass we must have navigated our way down a hundred small waterfalls to make it to his position. Not knowing some of the depths or dangers at the bottom of these waterfall pools I was just jumping down into them with no sense of fear or danger or anything because I knew I had him behind me. He was equally impressed with my desire to sacrifice my body to get to Sargeant Ralston. Just a combination of adrenaline combined with stupidity and youth on my part really. Upon making it to his position, soaked and exhausted we helped Sargeant Ralston from going into shock. He had a broken hip, facial laceration and a host of other injuries. Soon we guided the helicopter that had arrived to airlift him to Tripler Hospital. After that Ol' Sargeant Ellithorpe took a shine to me and pulled some strings to move me into his platoon. He gave me 110% trying to mold me into a soldier in his own image. I really wanted to do a great job for him but at the end of the day I was what I was at that very young point in my life (late teens). But I will never forget the impression he left on my life and I did go on to become, lets just call it, way more successful than most people gave me credit for back at that time in my life and I know that I owe some of that credit to him. Looking back on that time in my life he was a very fair man and also extremely capable of being really fun to be around and very funny and really good at drawing the line between being a leader and being a man who put his pants on one leg at a time. I'm sorry to hear of his passing. Way too young.

08/20/2008
Love Shared.
Listen for my whispers in the night as they come across the miles to where you sleep.
I will be the lightness in the dark to comfort you and hold you as you weep.

Never will you be alone again, for you hold a special place within my heart.
Always will you have a home with me, you are close to me e'vn though we are apart.

Forever in tandem, our lives are tied by a silver strand that crosses o’er the miles. Sharing conscious thoughts and Godly faith we help each other find again our smiles.© May1998Brenda "Rion"Sewell

Monna Ellithorpe
08/21/2008
Rea, You are my heart and my soul. We shared our lives together with love, trust and happiness. I love you now and I always will. My only comfort in losing you is knowing you are no longer in pain. Rest well my Darling. I will be with you always. Your loving wife, Monna

SGM Rea B. Ellithorpe (U.S. Army Ret.)

Sergeant Major Rea Bradley Ellithorpe (U.S. Army Ret.) passed away Sunday, August 17, 2008. He was born in Nashville, TN on August 1, 1955. Rea joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 to serve his country. He proudly served for 30 years protecting our country until his retirement in 2002.

Rea is survived by his loving wife Monna Ellithorpe, a stepdaughter Teri (Jeff) Raffey, of Lehigh Acres, step grandchildren: Cameron and Gavin Raffey of Lehigh Acres, Alex Bishop of Arkansas whom he took in to his heart as a son, his father George Ellithorpe of Tennessee, one brother and five sisters in Tennessee and many other relatives and friends who will miss him.

Rea was the recipient of many decorations, medals, badges, citations and ribbons which includes:

Completing Sergeant Major Academy
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal (6)
Army Commendation Medal (2)
Army Achievement Medal (11)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Army Superior Unit Award
Army Good Conduct Medal (9)
National Defense Service Medal (3)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Flag Issued: Exemplary performance, achievement & dedication 1972 - 2002
Armed Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon (2)

In addition to the above he also received:
Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar
Expert Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge and Master Parachutist Badge with 275 jumps
Pathfinder Badge
Air Assault Badge
Ranger Tab
Parachute Rigger Badge
Drill Sergeant Identification Badge