Memorial Day
AN: I don't own MCU or the characters related to said universe.
Note: the death dates are of my own creation, the fact that the three Americans were awarded Army Medals of Honor, is what I believe they would have deserved.
It is Memorial Day in the US, and this thought occurred to me. How would Steve Rogers remember his losses on a Memorial day.
Timeline: After Age of Ultron
One shot, unless it gets many reviews saying more.
On with the show.
Memorial Day
A lone man stands in the older section of Arlington. He stands in front of five marble stones with familiar names on them. Sgt. Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan April 11, 1912 – June 24, 1993 Army Medal of Honor Howling Commando, Pvt. Gabriel "Gabe" Jones August 14, 1918 – September 14, 1997 Army Medal of Honor Howling Commando, Pvt. James "Jim" Morita October 20, 1919 – August 16, 1973 Army Medal of Honor Howling Commando, Pvt. James "Monty" Montgomery Falsworth January 2 1914 – December 28 Howling Commando, 1996, Jacques "Frenchie" Dernier January 2, 1911 – March 13, 1995 Howling Commando.
The man looks at the names and remembers the faces, that seemed like only yesterday, were helping him take down HYDRA bases in Europe. He held a bottle of bourbon in one hand and a shot glass in the other. He smiled thinking about how Dum Dum would be thrilled at having a good bottle of bourbon.
"Hello, men," the man said quietly. "It's been a long time. Don't worry I brought bourbon." The man then knelt down and he opened the bottle of bourbon and poured himself a shot then he poured a little on each of the graves. He then drank his shot.
"I'm not going to be sappy and tell you how much I miss you. Only the big man upstairs can tell you that, but know that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of you and the old days," the man said and then looked down.
He poured another shot and he then drank it.
"I'm so glad that we met and that we were able to change the world, even if it was temporary," the man said.
He put the cap on the bourbon bottle then put the shot glass on the top of the bottle and he left it next to Dugan's headstone.
"That's the good stuff, Dum Dum," the man said as he stood and looked down at the five stones.
"I'll see you someday," the man said as he turned and began to walk away.
"Captain," the somber man looked up and saw a short heavy set African American woman.
The woman seemed to have tears in her eyes. Her face resembled someone he had known.
"My name is Gloria Jones – Triplett. I am the daughter of Gabe Jones," the woman said.
"Ma'am, it is an honor to meet you," the man said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it.
"Dad always said you were very polite, when you weren't fighting HYDRA," she smiled and said.
"Please call me Steve," the man said.
"Dad always told me stories about you. I in turn told those stories to my son, who worked for SHIELD, and just recently passed trying to save one of his team mates," Mrs. Triplett said.
She looked away as tears began to fall down her face.
Steve pulled her into his arms and he held her as she cried. He could feel her pain. His loss for his friends and for his lost life felt just as raw as her grief for her son. Once she got a hold of herself she looked up and quietly apologized.
"There is nothing to apologize for. Grief is meant to be shared," Steve said.
Then he took her arm and they walked back to the five headstones. There they stood together in remembrance of the men that they had lost. In the distance they heard the 21 gun salute and the lone trumpeter playing taps.