SSgt Larry Rougle buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Intermountain Catholic

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Military pall bearers accompany the body of SSG Larry Ismael Rougle out of St. Francis Xavier Church in Kearns, passing a row of American flags that led the way to the church. Rougle and two of his fellow members of the 173rd Airborne Division were killed Oct. 23 in a fire fight in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. Rougle, 25, was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. His burial at Arlington National Cemetery was scheduled for Nov. 9. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

KEARNS — The sidewalk leading to St. Francis Xavier Church in Kearns was lined with American flags for the funeral of Army Staff Sgt. Larry Ismael Rougle, 25. The divorced father of a three-year-old daughter, Rougle was killed Oct. 23, while on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He died in the Sawtalo Sar Mountain area of the Kunar Province, in a fire fight in which two other members of his unit, the 173rd Airborne, were killed.

Survived by his daughter, Carmin, his parents Nancy and Ismael Rougle; his brother David Rougle; a godson, cousins, and aunts and uncles, including his Aunt Char and Uncle Joel Rodriguez, members of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Rougle was slated to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, Nov, 8.

In his homily at the funeral, Father Rob Moriarty, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, told of going to the airport with Ismael Rougle to meet his son’s body when it arrived in Salt Lake City from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

"I asked his father, who was grieving deeply, if there was anything I could do for him. He turned to me and said, ‘if you could just bring him back.’"

Words were inadequate that day, Fr. Moriarty said, and they were inadequate at the funeral.

"How can you find words to describe a man who had such an impact on so many people?" Fr. Moriarty asked.

In the Catholic church we don’t come to a funeral so much to memorialize a person, although we sometimes do that, too. We’re here for a much deeper reason; to remember that Jesus conquered death through his death and resurrection...

"I wish with all my heart I could bring Larry back," Fr. Moriarty said. "But I can’t regardless of how honest and heartfelt is the request. We cannot turn back the clock; none of us can do that, and there is no way for any of us to make better the feelings of grief you have.

"But in that sense of loss and grief, we are reminded of the promise God made to us in today’s reading from St. Paul. When we lose someone, we have to grieve, but we must remember, Jesus has promised we will eventually be together again."

Fr. Moriarty said our Catholic faith provides us with, "a framework for us to comprehend the greater mystery of eternal life. And very honestly, Jesus tells us there is no need say good-bye, for Jesus never left us, and Larry will always be with us, too.

"In baptism, Larry received the divine spark of God, and nothing can extinguish that flame of love," Fr. Moriarty said. "We have a greater dream here and now, the dream that is the reality of eternal life."

Recalling the Scripture passage that tells the story of Jesus walking on the road to Bethany when he hears his friend Lazarus has died, said Fr. Moriarty.

"Jesus meets Lazarus’ sister, Martha, who tells him, ‘If you had been here, our brother would not have died.’ And Jesus asks: ‘What do you want me to do? Those who believe in me never die.’"

Today we see the difference between our mortal existence and our immortal souls, Fr. Moriarty said.

"Yes, we need to go through the grieving process," he said, "but in Christ we have life eternal, and not even death can take that away."

Rougle’s body was taken from the church accompanied by two members of a special motorcycle corps that escorts service members killed in action to their burial.