[Blindvet-talk] HONOR AND RESPECT / Memorial Day Is Upon Us!

[MisterAdvocate at aol.com]

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Subject:  HONOR AND RESPECT
  
 
 
 
     
     
 
 
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 an d 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  
giving them the respect they  so deserve. 

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

Prayer chain for our  Military.  Please send this on after a short  prayer 
for our troops around the  world:  

'Lord,  hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they  protect 
us. Bless them and their   
 
 
 
families for  the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.  
Amen..' 

Of all the gifts you could give a  Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & 
others deployed in  harm's way, prayer is the very best one. 

GOD  BLESS THEM AND YOU!!! 



















There is nothing attached. Please just  send this to people in your address 
book --- I copied it in  lieu of forwarding.  You could do the same.   os