EDWARDSVILLE - Gary Lee Horn, 68, of Edwardsville, was appropriately laid to rest in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery recently.
The man, who was full of deep patriotism, died on July 4, 2016. He retired in 1986 as a chief warrant officer with more than 20 years of service to the United States Army. He suffered from a rare brain disease, which ultimately led to his death.
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Horn served two tours in Vietnam and received many medals, ribbons and commendations for his years in the service.
Rene Horn said Gary “absolutely was the love of my life.”
“We were married over 26 years,” she said. “I couldn’t have had a better husband. We were both married before and he was a father to my boys and a grandpa to my grandkids.
When Gary returned home from the Vietnam War, Rene said he wasn’t pleased with the way he was treated.
“He was not treated well at the airport when he returned home from Vietnam,” his wife said. “He was spit on when he returned to Vietnam at the airport and he was such a decorated solider. He was so proud of how soldiers were treated now when they come home.”
While immensely decorated in Vietnam, his wife said he didn’t share a lot of war stories with her, just some of the funny incidents.
“Gary was proud he served his country and glad he did it,” his wife said.
Rene was proud Gary was buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. He married Rene on April 14, 1990, at the Granite City Army Depot chapel. The two met while working at the depot and started a friendship, which led to a deep relationship.
She said she felt her husband being buried in the National Cemetery was more important to her than him. She said she will be buried next to Gary one day.
“I always felt like he deserved the honor of being buried there because of the way he was treated when he came home from Vietnam,” she said. “I had gone to funerals there in the past and I always thought it was so serene at the cemetery.
“Gary didn’t boast about anything, but he was very humble about his military service and simply a humble person," his wife said.
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