On this Memorial Day

[BahamaLure]

from an email -

~~~~This Memorial Day~~

MAY GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN:

He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an
H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they
military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I 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 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 is under your feet in the cargo hold.
Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. 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 and safety in these United States of AMERICA .

Foot note:
As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including
the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they were
treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has
not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war
zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.

I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have
tears in their eyes, including me.

There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address
book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a
Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way,
prayer is the very best one.

[seapower]

Thank You for taking the time to post this story. Happy Memorial Day to all. Frank

[gottaflylee]

Yep, now I have tears in my eyes.

[clt_capt]

I have never served, But that brought tears to my eyes.

Thanks all of our Service Members for your Dedication, Service and Sacrifice.

God Bless the USA

[worldcat lemon]

I spoke to my Uncle, who is Ponca indian, and who lives on White Eagle Indian Reservation in Oklahoma last night to thank him for his military service during the Vietnam War.

He commented that when others were waiting to be drafted, he went down to the recruiter, lied about his age( he was only 15) and since birth certificates are rare on the "Res" his age couldn't be checked easily, and he VOLUNTEERED to go fight for his country. He said his first night in Saigon he was forced to kill a Viet Cong when him and his partner was attacked on patrol. Before leaving Vietnam he had risen to the rank of First Leut. and was in charge of his own squad where in the last tour of duty he said he didn't lose one guy during combat.

Because Native Americans who live on the Res. live under Sovereign Nation rules, they didn't have to join the military to go fight. They could have stayed home and let other people shed their blood, but many Natives love and believe in this country and are willing to die for the freedoms we have.

My uncle served 3 tours and when the war ended he said he flew into SanFrancisco airport and was met by idiots waving signs, spitting at him, and people yelling "baby killers". He said that caused him more pain than the shrapnel fragments embeded in his body, and the pain of seeing friends blown to pieces by mortars and mines.

Today, I wonder how many Americans would sign up to fight for our country in a war where there is a high degree of probability of injury and possibly death, and where public sentiment degrades the honor these soldiers deserve?

My uncle who turns 64 soon said "nephew, if I was younger I would join the Army and take the fight to them terrorists in the middle East, before they bring the fight here. Beat the jihad out of them on their own soil. That's what our guys are doing right now and I am proud of them!"

Thank God we have an old indian who has his head screwed on straight and knows we have to stomp them into a bloody mudhole on their soil before they can get a foot hold on our soil.

I want to extend a special Thank You to all military people who have served this country both during active war-time and during peace, in spite of our current President, and in spite of what idiots have to say about the war we are fighting in Iraq and Afganistan.

[BahamaLure]

My God Bless them where ever they go

[Hatterized]

sadly many only acknowledge those who serve our country after their deaths

wonderful story.....thanks for sharing