During a two-decade tenure as mayor, John Shepard had seen hundreds of exhibits in the small foyer of the Cranston Town Hall. The space, roughly the size of Shep"s dining room, had played host to quilting displays and bake sales. Once, for three whole days, the vestibule had been home to a blue-ribbon pigmy sow, inexplicably named Papa. None of it, however, compared to the presence of Senior Airman Casey Morton"s flag-draped coffin.
At first, Shep was impressed by the sheer magnitude of the display. The casket took up surprisingly little space, even considering the portable stand Gruber Funeral Home had lent for the purpose. But the flowers! He had never seen so many carnation sprays and wreaths, each struggling to find a uniqueness in a wall of red, white and blue fluff. Along both sides
