PINEDALE – Ted Nelson fastened the back window on his truck cap as close to shut as he could while a cacophony of diesel engines passed along the highway behind him.

Nelson, the commander of the Pinedale chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, was one of the first to park outside the VFW and get ready. More veterans arrived minutes later. In a few short hours they’d align both sides of Highway 191 to welcome home the latest local veteran making a final trip home.

Despite a near-20-year occupation in the Middle East – which has resulted in nearly 6,800 American soldiers killed, another 52,000 injured and over 209,000 documented civilian deaths in Iraq, according to Associated Press statistics – a grizzled World War II or Vietnam soldier remains the imagined caricature of a veteran. Soldiers like Nelson. And with the passage of time come more inevitable services honoring veterans. An instance like Sept. 10, however, served as a stark reminder the toils of battle don’t discriminate upon age.

Nelson is old enough to be the grandfather of a 20-year-old kid from Jackson. Instead, he’s leading the color guard to honor that potential grandchild as a fellow veteran.

“We’ve been dealing with this so long it’s nothing new,” he said while wrestling with the mechanics of his tailgate. “But that doesn’t make it any easier.”

Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum was one of 13 American soldiers killed in an Aug. 26 suicide attack while helping people board cargo planes at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. His family was notified and an outpouring of national attention followed. Some family members spoke to national and local media outlets, sharing their stories of Rylee. Others retreated to privacy in loss, like when the immediate family lost its Hoback Ranches home in the Roosevelt Fire, forcing their hand to a permanent Jackson residence.

The young Marine was due to return home in September, possibly in time to be with his wife, Gigi, when she’d give birth to the couple’s baby. Instead, Levi Rylee Rose was born 8 pounds, 10 ounces at Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital with a stuffed cutout of a father she’ll never meet three days after his remains were transported through his hometown.

Having heard about the family’s circumstances, tens of thousands of donations poured in. Wyoming’s Congressional delegation, Gov. Mark Gordon, state elected officials, appointed bureaucrats and local leaders all shared their condolences with the family. People flocked to tourist-packed Jackson with American flags in tow to bid farewell to a hometown hero.

Michael Edison pulled his truck up to the Pinedale VFW with one of those American flags fastened to the bed, ready to wave in transit. The commander of the Pinedale American Legion, Edison arranged for the convoy of Sublette County veterans and residents to meet at the VFW. They wanted to honor McCollum united.

Along with that American flag flew a few smaller ones hooked to Edison’s truck’s windows. One was to represent the 22 veterans who die by suicide every day.

Edison asked fellow Army veteran Andrea Lewis to help him unroll a banner donated by Phil and Amy Belveal that the Sublette County contingent could hold up during the procession. They stood in front of the line of American flags, with black ribbons tied to their poles, and the VFW sign not far away, wearing a black ribbon styled like a sash.

“This is a big thing for our county,” Edison said as the banner recoiled for transportation.

More pulled into the parking lot and Edison thanked them. His firm handshake caused some to regain their footing. His words carried unquestionable sincerity.

They hoped for a sizeable crowd with comfort knowing support transcended the numbers. Edison said there were local veterans who wouldn’t make the convoy – McCollum’s death shook them to the core.

Originally, Edison wanted the Sublette County contingent to be on the Jackson Hole Airport tarmac. That idea didn’t pass airport security. Then they wanted to be along the road before reaching Highway 191. That idea was curtailed per a McCollum family request pertaining to where they wanted privacy. So instead, the group settled on the area north of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, where the procession would slow to 10 miles per hour.

Edison huddled those waiting for the last color guard members to arrive. He went over the plans of timing, location and logistics. He then steered towards purpose.

He reminded them of Rylee. The family that lost a son, a brother, a husband and father. The sacrifice a 20-year-old dedicated Marine made to protect and how he ultimately joined a growing list of Americans who died in the line of duty. It wasn’t a time for politically partisan statements, it was one of support for a fellow soldier, he said.

“Remember why we’re there,” Edison said with a wavering voice.

Pinedale American Legion Chaplain Randy Belton followed Edison with a prayer of similar tone. He thanked the Lord for the blessings of veterans and asked for safe travels. He also asked for protection of Rylee and Gigi’s child, prompting a necessary moment of composure.

“It’s a horrible thing she’s not going to get to know her father, at least in person,” Belton said. “But you keep her safe, Lord, and give them both strength and carry on through this difficult time.”

Then came the roar of nearby motorcycles taking off. Edison and Nelson turned to watch as the motorcade’s roar faded into the distance. Countless vehicles pass through Pinedale, riding that same stretch of road without much thought. It’s one of the few avenues connecting Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park to the rest of the country. Not all engines passing through do so with the same purpose. Some on Sept. 10 may have been oblivious to McCollum’s passing and his ties to the close-knit community that adamantly supports veterans. And, as a sort of a sad reality, the passage of time brings other events and causes. Engines still run, cars still pass and life goes on after loss.

But memories also live on. And in one afternoon those gathered joined hundreds to pay their respects to Rylee McCollum and show their support for his surviving family. The McCollums aren’t alone in their grief. They won’t forget the ambitions and sacrifices either.

The convoy started their engines and pulled onto the highway.