We The People Bid Farewell To David Hall With His Liberty Bell

Several years ago, I was visiting my family in Fort Worth. Their house is adjacent to Jonathan and Jennifer Hall's home. I was pouring coffee in the kitchen when my dad called from the living room to come look out the front door.

"Come see! David's here with the bell!" I stepped out onto the front porch, and parked in front of the neighbor's house was a big truck, with a long trailer attached. Sitting on the trailer was a massive bell. My dad explained that David was Jonathan's brother, and the bell was an exact working replica of our country's very own Liberty Bell. The history of this particular bell, and David's spectacular work and ministry with it, is available at Proclaim Liberty.US.

My dad explained how David took the bell to all sorts of services and commemorations, and frequently to the funerals and memorial services of veterans killed in action. It made an impressive sight, so I could somewhat imagine how honored a veteran's family would be to have it ringing at the service of their loved one.

My dad died the summer of 2009. David didn't attend my dad's memorial service, but his brother, Jonathan and his family did. Jennifer explained that David had wanted to attend with the bell, but he was already attending another funeral at the same time, for a fallen soldier. I was glad David didn't come. My dad was a Marine, and would have not been pleased for David to have brought the bell to his funeral, rather than be there for the family of a KIA.

In Spring of 2010, one morning at work, I saw Ms. Lee with several other colleagues gathered around her, their heads bent over a brochure. I stepped into the mix, curious about what was so interesting. Ms. Lee had the brochure open to show a photo of David Hall and the Traveling Liberty Bell. It was a photo taken during a commemoration ceremony in San Antonio, Texas to honor the fallen at The Alamo. Ms. Lee (now retired), the widow of a U.S. Marine, was excited, saying David was bringing the bell to Laurel Land for our annual Memorial Day observance. She went on to say that she'd met him and spoken to him, that he was very informative, and also very kind. She was thrilled that he would be attending. Ms. Lee also remarked that it was incredibly touching to hear the bell ring in a place regarded by many as sacred.

The following Memorial Day was my first to be on-duty during the holiday observance. Before I made my way from the office in the funeral home, to the cemetery where the guests were gathering, I stopped by the front desk. A fellow was standing there who looked strikingly familiar. We spoke for a few minutes, and then I realized, this was David, brother of Jonathan, and the bringer and ringer of the bell. No wonder he looked familiar. Jonathan and his six brothers all look very much alike to me. There are eight Hall children in total. Mr. Edward Hall (David Hall's father) used to say when asked how many children he had, "I have one daughter, and she has seven brothers."

I explained who I was, and that although he didn't know me, I knew some of his family. David paused a few moments, then he reached across the desk to shake my hand, telling me he was sorry to hear of my father's death. He said, "Your dad was a good guy. I liked him a lot. Did you know he once drove the bell for me to an event while I was recovering from an accident?" I hadn't known it, and was happy David shared it with me.

David said goodbye and then left to go get the bell maneuvered into position. The ringing of the bell would start the observance, and he needed to have his truck and the bell trailer in place soon.

Not many minutes later, I made my way towards the back exit of the funeral home. I wanted to be in the park when the ceremony started. Before I made it to through the back door, I heard the bell begin to ring. And, when I stepped outside into the back lot, I not only heard it but felt it, reverberating through my chest. I stopped walking, stood still, and felt emotion choking me as my eyes filled with tears. It was one of the most haunting, yet beautiful sounds I've ever heard, there in the park where so many of The Brave are laid to rest.

That was my first hearing of the bell, and I'm thankful to this day that I had the privilege of the experience, as well as receiving David's kind words of sympathy towards my dad. I understood why Ms. Lee had been so happy that he would be joining us with the bell for the ceremony.

David Hall passed away this week, after a hard fight against cancer. Patriots throughout the nation will honor his passing. His outreach with the bell to patriots is a legacy that will be in many of our memories for a long, long time.

I would like to extend my thanks for David's service to his country, in civilian clothing, or costumed to replicate the colonial warriors who sacrificed to establish this nation that some of us love so much. I would also like to extend my sympathies to his family and loved ones for their loss.

A close friend, a U.S. Marine, left a message on my dad's online obituary, and it is the one that always stands out in my mind the most. Dwayne Mullins wrote, "Take the point, Marine ... lead us home."

It's David's turn on point, and he's left us a good trail to follow.