The funeral of a celebrity, and the funeral of a hero

Whitney Houston died last week at the young age of 48.
A nation mourned her passing, and New Jersey Goveror Chris Christie ordered that flags in that state be flown at half-mast in her honor.
That’s truly sad.
Another New Jersey native was laid to rest on Monday at the young age of 20, and Gov. Christie also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his memory as well — after an outcry erupted because he’d ordered flags at half-mast for Houston’s funeral.
That’s even sadder.
Whitney Houston recorded songs that have since become standard performance fare for drag queens everywhere.  No one will ever forget her cover of “I Will Always Love You,” and other hits.
Osbrany Montes de Oca never recorded a record, nor starred in a film. No one will ever imitate him in drag shows.
Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey were among thousands on-hand for the public memorial service for Whitney. A news report indicates that “hundreds” were on-hand for Osbrany’s funeral, although no celebrities were among the mourners.
Whitney Houston battled addiction to various drugs, including crack cocaine, as the price of her addiction to fame. The various addictions are being credited for the events leading to her death.
Osbrany Montes de Oca battled the Taliban so that you and I could go to Walmart and buy Whitney Houston records with little fear of being the victims of suicide bombers.
Lance Corporal Osbrany Montes de Oca, United States Marine Corps, was laid to rest Monday in a private funeral service in North Arlington, N.J.  He was killed Feb. 10 helping to support combat operations in Helmland Province, Afghanistan. He was a mortarman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
The juxtaposition between the honors and fanfare we accord to celebrities to those we afford our heroes is truly indicative of the morally bankrupt state of our society. That we would weep for someone who threw her life away rather than someone who gave his life for us is profoundly sad.
Our society is riddled with cults devoted to idolizing celebrities whose irresponsible lifestyles led to their early demise: Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson. Streets and schools get named after them, foundations are started in their honor, memorials are maintained on their graves.
Osbrany Montes de Oca will live on only in the memory of his immediate family, and his brother and sister Marines.
Don McLean once offered romantic praise of the way artists destroy themselves by noting that “when no hope was left in sight, you took your life as lovers often do.”
Osbrany Montes de Oca, on his Facebook page, wrote of his love for his girlfriend and looked upon a bright future: “I do have a future. I am a United States Marine.”
The headlines in the supermarket tabloids are busy hashing out the details of how Whitney Houston’s estate will be divvied up, and who will be in charge of raising the daughter she irresponsibly left behind.
Lance Corporal Osbrany Montes de Oca has a twin brother, Osmany.  The two joined the Marine Corps more than a year ago. Being Marines had been their ambition from a very young age. Their enthusiasm eventually persuaded their older brother, Sergio, 22, to enlist as well.
The saddest thing about the death of Whitney Houston is the fact that too many members of our society identify more with her than with young Lance Cpl. Montes de Oca. They forget that the music and the art and the beauty of the Whitney Houstons of this world could never flourish without the sacrafices being made by people like the Montes de Oca brothers.
Many of them are, in fact, disdainful and hateful of what the Montes de Ocas and so many other service members contribute to the “freedoms” they love to flaunt.
What Osbrany Montes de Oca and his brothers — my brothers — understood is perhaps best reflected in a statement made by the Marine’s Marine, Chesty Puller, when asked whether he thought out country was getting soft:
“Our Country won’t go on forever, if we stay soft as we are now. There won’t be any America because some foreign soldier will invade us and take our women and breed a heartier race!”