Airline Pilot

     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'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 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:  
     I know everyone who reads this will have tears in their  eyes,
     including me. Prayer chain for our Military... Don't  break it! 
     Please send this on after a short prayer for our  service men and
     women.
Don't break it!  They die for me and mine and you and yours  and deserve
our honor and respect. 
      
     Prayer Request:  
     When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say  a prayer
     for our troops around the world... 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, and others deployed in  harm's way, prayer is the
     very best one. 

     GOD BLESS  YOU!!! 
     Thank you all who have served, or are serving. We Will  Not
     Forget!!!!