Humayun Khan’s grave becomes a shrine in the wake of his father’s speech

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Politics
Humayun Khan’s grave becomes a shrine in the wake of his father’s speech

People have been leaving flowers and visiting the grave of Capt. Humayun Khan at Arlington Cemetery/ (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)
By Katie Zezima
August 1

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Humayun Khan was killed in 2004 by a car bomb in Baqubah, Iraq. The captain was inspecting a guard post when he spotted a taxi speeding toward him. Khan yelled for people to hit the ground, and he ran toward the taxi. Its driver detonated a bomb before it could hit the post or a nearby mess hall, where hundreds of soldiers were eating breakfast. Khan was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Those awards are etched onto Khan’s white granite headstone, along with a crescent moon and star, signifying his Muslim faith. He was born on Sept. 9, 1976. He died on June 8, 2004. He was 27.

The political fight swirling around Khan’s parents and Trump — which has dominated the presidential race in recent days — seems far removed from Section 60 of the cemetery, where row after row of white headstones stand in long grass and in air heavy with humidity on the first day of August. Most of the soldiers in the row where Khan was laid to rest also died in Iraq in 2004; their headstones are inscribed with crosses, Stars of David, medals of valor — and dates of death far too close to their dates of birth. Two bouquets of fresh flowers lay next to the headstone of a man who would have been 32 Monday.

A stream of supporters, including the Dowells, have been coming to honor Khan over the past few days. Two white orchid petals sit atop his headstone. A bouquet of red carnations leans against it. There are pink and yellow roses and a small U.S. flag. Inside a plastic bag, a white envelope is addressed to “Mr. & Mrs. Khan,” along with a small card reading, “Do small things with great love,” emblazoned with a drawing of a sparrow.

Then, from the solitude, emerged a reminder of all that was happening on television sets and Twitter: A caravan of cars pulled up, and a horde of photographers and camera operators walked toward Khan’s grave, led by a cemetery representative.

The Dowells — Jake, 17; his father, Tony, 50; and 19-year-old sister, Hannah, all from Chicago — cooled off at a water pump before heading to Khan’s grave.

“I just wanted to see and pay my respects to an American hero,” Jake Dowell said. He was moved by Khan’s story — “a representation of what it means to be an American,” he said.

He said he believes that Khan lived the American Dream — and was willing to sacrifice his life so that others can live it as well.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/humayun-khans-grave-becomes-a-shrine-in-the-wake-of-his-fathers-speech/2016/08/01/8ec0f69e-57ea-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html?tid=ss_fb