The Associated Press says only five colonels have died in Iraq since the war began. Sadly, one of those five is from our area. Colonel Stephen Scott was 54 years old. A man who followed his father into the military and found his calling in life. He loved fast cars (he owned a Corvette as a young man) and was remembered today as being not only a dedicated soldier, but a dedicated son, father, brother and family man. He was the kind of guy who stood on his tip toes in family pictures because he couldn't have his "little brother" appear to be taller than him. The kind of guy who played violin but didn't like to advertise it (although the family says they found his old violin in his closet). The kind of guy who called his mother every Sunday morning from Iraq to tell her he was okay. I was talking with Christine Doyle, the early morning reporter here at KMOV, a few weeks ago and we were discussing media coverage of funerals. I agreed with Christine that it is an incredible gesture for a family to allow the media into a funeral service. It is such an intensely emotional and private moment and yet these families allow us to be there. I could certainly understand their feelings if they were to say no. I've always felt a great burden in trying to give viewers insight into a person and their life. It's difficult enough to sum up a person in an hour-long funeral service. How can you even begin to sum up a life in a news story? Unfortunately, it can't be done. We can only try our best to give you a tidbit of information into what made the person tick. As I was leaving the church a woman told me that she had seen my other reports on soldiers' funerals on Channel 4. She asked how many I had covered. "Too many," I said.

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