A poignant story that deserves our thoughtful attention.

[Castle Mountain]

A poignant story that deserves our thoughtful attention.

CM

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 on his own.. 

  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', he said.  He 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 he  asked me if there was anything I  could do.. 'I'm on  it', I said. I told him that I would get back to him. 
 
  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 this 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. 


Reflecting 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  is very sobering indeed.

[mtbrass]

Always moving for me to read a story of someone doing something to help another, I also know that what I just wrote does not do justice to what was done in this case. Thanks for the post.

[GoldFish]

I'm not from Illinois, but I thought I might read the story after I saw the title of it.  Moving, truly moving; those ladies and gentlemen who escort the bodies etc. are true heroes of America.

---GF

[Fred]

    Hard to read it and not tear up. Not only for the family and circumstances, but for the indications that Americans can still be reached - so for me this story offers hope we can be successful in this program.

    (I bet if some of us were allowed to "tell the Story" to these passengers, it would really hit them in their hearts!)