Posted on 12/26/2010 8:10:11 PM PST by reprobate
This was forwarded to us by family friend XXXXXXXX:
From an airline captain:
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 two-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 attendant's 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.
I decided to contact my flight dispatcher directly. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what 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 co-pilot 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 aspecial 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, all passengers 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 like "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 always have trouble reaching the end of this story...for some reason, my allergies act up and I can’t see clearly.
God Bless our brave men and women.
Thank you for posting this story.
It isn’t too often that something gets me choked up this quick, but the captain’s announcement and the response from passengers just caught me off guard. Wow!
This story is defective: near the end it gets all blurry.
Blurry monitor syndrome.
Thanks for the post. It helps put things in perspective and restore faith in humanity.
I wondered about the logistics of the family, because this would imply that they went to an airport far from Virginia to meet up with the casket and yet somehow missed doing so before both casket and family had to go on the flight. I can see why the family would be miffed — can you say snafu? Kudos squared for this airline captain and the flight controllers who bent over backward to solve the problem.
Great post. I fly often and have been on a plane with an escorted soldier, but never the family. Each time I have experienced this, the captain has asked that everyone stay seated until the escort disembarks. Thank yous and God Bless Yous from the other passengers is common. I have watched from the gate window the removal of the casket. Always a very moving experience. The Kevin Bacon movie Taking Chance appears very accurate to me.
Thanks for sharing that story.
Mind posting the full email from your unidentified friend containing the unidentified source URL linking to an unidentified website linking to another unidentified website which cannot identify the person who provided the story?
If you are going to post a story - if it’s posted as FACT, please provide the source. If it is posted as a FICTION, please do the same providing an author.
Else, you are promoting spam.
=8-)
Thank you for sharing that. Funny, my computer screen got all blurry as well......
THX MUCH.
MAY GOD BE WITH EACH FAMILY MEMBER.
With some stories, it’s true that we want them verified. But this one is not shocking — it probably happens all the time, and it’s good enough for me. Where’d I put that kleenex?
Oh man is that ever the truth.
Was posted here last year, and has been posted at other forums as well. It’s old...
I don’t mind posting stories - so long as NON-FICTION is presented as NON-FICTION and crediting the original source and FICTION is presented as FICTION and crediting the author by name.
To pass as NON-FICTION what is likely a fictional piece describing roughly was does happen nowadys is disrespectful and insulting to those who actually experience one or more of the events noted.
It’s not necessary either - if you have a real story to tell - do so - there are lots of willing eyes and ears here on FreeRepublic.
=8-)
Here’s the original story:
http://acaptainslog.blogspot.com/2008/07/fallen-soldier_04.html
On the left of the page there’s even a follow-up.
Exactly...
Now go back and read carefully...the original and the followups:
1. In the original he words his introduction such that he blends into the beginning of the story making it seem to a quick reader that HE was the captain in the story. Far down in the comments when directly asked, no reply.
2. In his follow-ups - both of ‘em - he once again blends his introduction into the information being posted making it appear to a quick reader that he is IN the story or the organizations activites and history.
Careful reading however - slowing down - not quite.
He still does not come right out and declare in one formal sentence that he was the captain in the original post - or a captain flying a plane for the service described provide “remains” escort duties.
I admire great writing skills and storytelling - but I’d appreciate it if he’d come right out and declare factually what his role is in the original and the follow-up posts.
=8-)
Regardless of what Snopes might say on the subject, every word of the pilot’s account, and the cooperation he received when they landed, sounded spot on to me. The reason I am so confident of this is because of a movie that HBO did about a year ago, based on a true story. It stars Kevin Bacon as a Marine Colonel, a paper shuffler in a staffing duty slot, who out of guilt feelings about HIS cushy job, volunteered to escort a Fallen from the time the remains left the morgue at Dover AFB, to final interment in Montana. I was blown away by the QUALITY of this story and the movie, and the UTMOST RESPECT given to the Fallen at EVERY turn, not only by the Military, but also the reverence shown by the “flying public” and the various airlines personnel. Words do not suffice to convey how strongly I recommend that everyone view this movie if they haven’t seen it heretofore. The title is: “TAKING CHANCE” and it stars Kevin Bacon as the Marine Colonel and Tom Wopat of Dukes of Hazzard fame as the father of the Fallen.
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