WASHINGTON (AP) — It is an honor carried out by the soldiers of the Army’s oldest infantry regiment: to salute the departing president as he leaves the nation’s capital, while helping welcome his replacement.
Stricken with a cancer that’s rare in the United States, it is an honor that Lt. Col. Jaime Martinez almost missed.
kAm“%9:D :D 2 =6E92= 42?46C] %F>@CD 8C@H :? J@FC 9625 2?5 ?64< 2?5 E96C6 :D ?@ 62DJ H2J E@ 2EE24< :E[” |2CE:?6K D2:5[ H9@ 4C65:ED E96 5@4E@CD 2E (2=E6C #665 pC>J |65:42= r6?E6C H:E9 D2G:?8 9:D =:76] “%96J 8@E >6 324< :? E96 7:89E :? `__ 52JD]”k^Am
kAm~? %F6D52J[ |2CE:?6K H:== 4@>>2?5 9F?5C65D @7 D@=5:6CD 7C@> %96 ~=5 vF2C5[ H9@ DE2?5 H2E49 52:=J 2E E96 %@>3 @7 E96 &?<?@H? $@=:56C 2?5 3FCJ E96 5625 2E pC=:?8E@? }2E:@?2= r6>6E6CJ[ 2D E96J 42CCJ @FE E96:C 5FE:6D 2E E96 :?2F8FC2E:@? @7 2 AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAm#25:@ :? 92?5[ |2CE:?6K H:== 8F:56 9:D :?E6?D6=J A@=:D965 2?5 AC24E:465 D@=5:6CD E9C@F89 C64@C5\D6EE:?8 4C@H5D E@ 6249 2DD:8?>6?E[ 6?DFC:?8 E96J’C6 :? A=246 E@ 42CCJ E96 ?2E:@?’D 4@=@CD E@ E96 r2A:E@= :? E96 :?2F8FC2= A2C256[ 2?5 =2E6C[ 2E E96 >2?J :?2F8FC2= 32==D]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96:C @E96C 46C6>@?:2= 5FE:6D %F6D52Ji DE2?5:?8 H2E49 2E p?5C6HD p:C u@C46 q2D6 E@ D2=FE6 v6@C86 (] qFD9 2D 96 3@2C5D 2 >:=:E2CJ A=2?6 2?5 =62G6D (2D9:?8E@? 369:?5]k^Am
kAm|2CE:?6K[ cc[ 8C6H FA :? r9:428@ 2?5 DE2CE65 9:D 42C66C :? E96 pC>J ab J62CD 28@ 27E6C 8C25F2E:?8 7C@> t2DE6C? x==:?@:D &?:G6CD:EJ] t?=:DE:?8 2D 2 AC:G2E6 6G6?EF2==J =65 E@ 2? 2:C3@C?6 4@>32E ;F>A :?E@ !2?2>2[ 6=6G2E:@? E@ @77:46C[ 2 =2H 568C66 2?5 D6CG:46 @? E96 A6CD@?2= DE277 @7 3@E9 ':46 !C6D:56?E s:4< r96?6J 2?5 $6?] w:==2CJ #@592> r=:?E@?]k^Am
kAmt:89E >@?E9D 28@[ E96 A2C2EC@@A6C H9@ 7@F89E :?DFC86?ED :? xC2B 2?5 32EE=65 %2=:32? 8F?>6? E@ 2 DE2?5DE:== :? E96 >@F?E2:?D @7 p7892?:DE2? H2D?’E DFC6 96’5 =:G6 =@?8 6?@F89 E@ D66 E96 ?6IE AC6D:56?E :?2F8FC2E65] ~? E96 D2>6 ?:89E 96 8C25F2E65 7C@> =2H D49@@=[ 96 5:D4@G6C65 2 =F>A :? 9:D ?64<]k^Am
kAm(:E9:? 2 H66<[ 96 925 364@>6 @?6 @7 2 92?57F= @7 D@=5:6CD 5:28?@D65 H:E9 ?2D@A92CJ?862= 42?46C[ 2 5:D62D6 E92E’D F?4@>>@? :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 3FE :D 7@F?5 >@C6 @7E6? 2>@?8 A6@A=6 :? 46?EC2= pD:2[ ?@CE9 p7C:42 2?5 r9:?2 2?5 92D 366? =:?<65 E@ 2 5:6E @7 D2=E\4FC65 7:D9 2?5 >62E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 p>6C:42? r2?46C $@4:6EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 G:CFD E92E 42FD6D @C5:?2CJ >@?@?F4=6@D:D D66>D E@ A=2J 2 C@=6[ E@@[ 3FE >@DE A6@A=6 H9@ 86E >@?@ 5@ ?@E 56G6=@A E9:D 42?46C] |2;] |2C< #@D496HD<:[ H9@ EC62E65 |2CE:?6K 2E (2=E6C #665[ D2:5 5@4E@CD E96C6 @?=J D66 @?6 @C EH@ 42D6D 2 J62C]k^Am
kAm“(96? 2 A2E:6?E 4@>A=6E6D E96 EC62E>6?E[ :E :D E@@ 62C=J E@ D2J E96J’G6 DFCG:G65[” #@D496HD<: D2:5] “%96:C 42?46C :D ?@ =@?86C 56E64E23=6[ 3FE :E 4@F=5 4@>6 324<] xE 92D 2 9:89 C2E6 @7 C6=2AD6] rFC65 >62?D C6>:DD:@?[ 2?5 E92E E2<6D 7:G6 J62CD]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 F?56C8@:?8 EH@ C@F?5D @7 288C6DD:G6 E96C2AJ @G6C 7@FC >@?E9D[ |2CE:?6K 3642>6 2 D96== @7 E96 H2CC:@C H9@ ?@E @?=J >256 :E E9C@F89 E96 pC>J’D ?@E@C:@FD=J E@F89 #2?86C D49@@=[ 3FE =2E6C H2D A:4<65 E@ E6249 E96C6] $:EE:?8 :? 2 C@@> 2E (2=E6C #665 H:E9 2 G:6H @7 2 A2C<:?8 =@E :? s646>36C[ @? E96 =2DE 52J @7 9:D EC62E>6?E[ E96 496>@E96C2AJ 925 =67E |2CE:?6K H:E9 8C2J D<:?[ 2 82F?E 7246 2?5 2 C2DAJ G@:46 :?DE625 @7 9:D ?@C>2==J 2?:>2E65 32C:E@?6]k^Am
kAm“%9:D C646?E 32EE=6 E6>A6C65 >6 H:E9 C6D@=G6 E92E x 5:5 ?@E <?@H x A@DD6DD65 2E E96 E:>6[” 96 D2:5] “x 2EE6DE >J DFCG:G2= E@ 72:E9 2?5 E96 4CF4:3=6D @7 4@>32E E92E x 92G6 AC6G:@FD=J 6IA6C:6?465]”k^Am
kAm|2CE:?6K E@@< 4@>>2?5 @7 E96 cE9 q2EE2=:@? @7 E96 bC5 &]$] x?72?ECJ #68:>6?E — E96 7@C>2= ?2>6 7@C %96 ~=5 vF2C5 32EE2=:@? — :? ~4E@36C[ 367@C6 9:D EC62E>6?E H2D 4@>A=6E6] p=@?8 H:E9 46C6>@?:2= 5FE:6D[ E96 F?:E H:== 96=A AC@G:56 D64FC:EJ 2?5 >65:42= 42C6 2D 2 4C@H5 E92E’D 6IA64E65 E@ >62DFC6 :? E96 >:==:@?D 82E96CD @? E96 }2E:@?2= |2== E@ H2E49 q2C24< ~32>2 56=:G6C 9:D 7:CDE DA6649 2D AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAm|2CE:?6K D2:5 96’D 9@?@C65 — “6DA64:2==J 5FC:?8 H2CE:>6” — E92E E96 pC>J H2D 4@?7:56?E 96 4@F=5 C6EFC? E@ 5FEJ 2?5 =625 EC@@AD 27E6C 9:D 42?46C 7:89E]k^Am
kAm“{:76 4@?E:?F6D] x 92G6 ?@ BF2=>D 2?5 x 2> ECF=J 3=6DD65 H:E9 F?3@F?5 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 2?5 E96 AC:G:=686 E@ D6CG6[” |2CE:?6K D2:5] “%96 92C56DE 7:89ED[ x 36=:6G6[ 2C6 J6E E@ 4@>6]”k^Am