The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it.....

[bigwave]

"The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it.....The American flag flies from the last breath of each military member who

has died serving it.”

 

A FALLEN SOLDIERS ESCORT

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this

flight." (Human Remains)

"Are they military?" I asked.

Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I've already assigned him a seat'.

 'Would you please tell him to come to the Flight Deck.  You can board

him early," I said…

 

A short while later a young army sergeant entered the flight deck.  He

was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier.  He introduced himself

and I asked him about his soldier.

The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are

still alive and still with us.  'My soldier is on his way back to

Virginia.,' he said.  He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered

no words.  I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no.

I told him that he had the toughest job in the military, and that I

appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen

soldiers.  The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake

his hand.  He left the Flight Deck to find his seat.

 

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an

uneventful departure.  About 30 minutes into our flight, I received a

call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin.

'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is also

on board', she said.  She then proceeded to tell me that the father,

mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son,

husband, and father home.  The family was upset because they were

unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left.

 

We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to

wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .  The

father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son

was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was

too much for him and the family to bear.  He had asked the flight

attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to

see him upon our arrival.  The family wanted to be outside by the

cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.

 

I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she

asked me if there was anything I could do.  'I'm on it', I said.  I

told her that I would get back to her.

 

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of

e-mail like messages.  I decided to bypass this system and contact my

flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio.  There is a radio

operator in the operations control center who connects you to the

telephone of the dispatcher.  I was in direct contact with the

dispatcher.  I explained the situation I had on board with the family

and what it was the family wanted.  He said he understood and that he

would get back to me.

 

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher.  We were

going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family.

I sent a text message asking for an update.  I saved the return

message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

 

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you.  There is

policy on this now, and I had to check on a few things.  Upon your

arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.  The team will

escort the family to the ramp and plane side.  A van will be used to

load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will

be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal, where

the remains can be seen on the ramp.  It is a private area for the

family only.  When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be

escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being

loaded for the final leg home.  Captain, most of us here in flight

control are veterans.  Please pass our condolences on to the family.

Thanks.

 

I sent a message back, telling flight control thanks for a good job.

I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to

pass on to the father.  The lead flight attendant was very thankful

and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.’

 

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing.

After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area.  The

ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway.  It is

always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter

and exit.  When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp

controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told.  It

looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we

turned the seat belt sign off everyone would stand up at once and

delay the family from getting off the airplane.  As we approached our

gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller, we were going

to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers

He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.’

 

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake.  I pushed the public

address button and said:  'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain

speaking: I have stopped short of our gate to make a special

announcement.  We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and

respect.  His name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his

life.  Private XXXXXX s under your feet in the cargo hold.  Escorting

him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXX.  Also, on board are his father,

mother, wife, and daughter.  Your entire flight crew is asking for all

passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the

aircraft first.  Thank you.’

 

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our

shutdown procedures.  A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit

door.  I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you

just do not see.  I was told that after we came to a stop, every

passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the

family to exit the aircraft.

 

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly

started to clap his hands.  Moments later, more passengers joined in

and soon the entire aircraft was clapping.  Words of 'God Bless You',

I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to

the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the

airplane.  They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with

their loved one.

 

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I

had made.  They were just words, I told them, I could say them over

and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

 

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the

sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our

freedom.

 

They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect

 

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for

our troops around the world.  Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier,

Sailor, Airman, and others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.

There is nothing attached.  Just send this to people in your address book. 

 

May God Bless you and all those serving.  

Thank you all who have served, or are serving.  We will not forget!