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Flying a fallen Hero for Memorial Day

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Captain Aux details his experience transporting a fallen US soldier home. (www.nycaviation.com) 更多...

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preacher1
preacher1 23
Being retired as Director of flight ops but still very active and current, my old boss called me one day, just before Easter a year ago, with a request to do an ANGEL FLIGHT between FSM and Dover AFB,DE. He had volunteered our 767 to a prominent local family. The Son used to work for me part time, had gone on to USAF Academy and became a helicopter pilot. He lost his life in Afghanistan and was now coming home. The family had requested me to fly. At that time, the 188th TFW was based at FSM with the A-10's. ATC gave us direct both ways, and as we were coming in, a flight of Hogs picked us up over North AR. As we set up on descent for approach, they came over the top of us in missing man formation. It got real hard to see the runway. Only ANGEL FLIGHT I ever did but one I'll never forget.
flyingcookmosnter
Wow, that is an amazing story. Thanks for sharing.
preacher1
preacher1 10
I respect Captain Aux and all the guys that do the Angel Flights. The military will bring them home with honor guard all the way. For some of us it is a once in a lifetime experience, some do it on a regular basis. This Memorial day and the rest of the year, my hat is off to all our vets, past and present. I did my time but I was fortunate enough to come home and have a full life. Others did not and this coming day is one small token of remembrance. May they all R.I.P.
Darrens
Darren Shields 10
We should NEVER forget that these young men and women have volunteered to put their lives on the line to ensure security to their friends and neighbors. Preacher: I know what you were feeling. I was part of a firing squad for the funeral of one of my fellow paratroopers when I was in the 82nd and when Taps was played afterwards........It was an honor to serve and it's only right to honor those who carry the colors in this generation. Happy Memorial Day from your friendly neighborhood Rigger. :-)
wmyers71
Wilbur Myers 6
I witnessed a similar event during the Vietnam War. On an airline flight out of Kansas City (I don't remember the airline) to Denver. During a stop in Wichita the captain asked us to keep our seats while the casket was removed from the cargo hold. I was on the right side and saw a flag draped box unloaded. There was no mention that it was a soldier, but everyone on that side knew what it was. It was a somber moment that I have never forgotten. That unknown soldier was on my mind, and most likely others, all the rest of the flight.
WithnailANDi
WithnailANDi 7
Note to self: Carry more tissues.
levyharaivan
How do 17 people manage to Eject (thumb down) this post...?
TXCAVU
Perhaps they don't like to read the reality of those who serve to give them the privilege of choosing thumbs down?
randomguy
randomguy 1
How do 5 people manage to Thumbs up every single frequentbusinesstraveler post in the first 10 minutes....

wmyers71
Wilbur Myers 2
I witnessed a similar event during the Vietnam War. On an airline flight out of Kansas City (I don't remember the airline) to Denver. During a stop in Wichita the captain asked us to keep our seats while the casket was removed from the cargo hold. I was on the right side and saw a flag draped box unloaded. There was no mention that it was a soldier, but everyone on that side knew what it was. It was a somber moment that I have never forgotten. That unknown soldier was on my mind, and most likely others, all the rest of the flight.
chalet
chalet 2
More on the subject of Fallen Soldiers not receiving the appropriate respect and love upon their return to the homeland: http://www.truth-out.org/archive/item/47801:pentagon-ban-on-pictures-of-dead-troops-is-broken
randomguy
randomguy 2
I can see both sides of this. But sadly, it gets turned into a political game.
preacher1
preacher1 3
Yeah, it may have been sincere, with good intentions, when started, for family respect. I remember those days, when for whatever reason, the press did start having a field day with it. When they were cut off, they started lambasting the administrations, right or wrong. The administrations were danged if they did or didn't and it is a policy that has just been carried on thru the present. Probably had Iraq went on it would have been a quagmire like Vietnam and divided the country. Regardless of who is at the helm, the one good thing that has happened over the last few years is that we are out of Iraq, and on our way to being out of Afghanistan. The only mistake we made is that after they got Saddam and Bin Laden, we should have been loading transports the next day. Since we have left Iraq, it has gone back into a continual fighting between the 2 Muslim factions and Afghanistan will be the same. We have no business there. As long as they are fighting each other, maybe they'll leave us alone and there won't be a need for flights into Dover.
stephmo
Steve Brown 2
On a recent flight from Seattle, as we landed into San Antonio we were told we were carrying the body of a soldier that was killed in Afghanistan, we were all asked to remain seated while they removed the casket from the plane at the gate. Usually everyone is in a rush to get off the plane, this time was different everyone remained seated sat silently while they removed this hero from the plane. It showed me how much people do care about our Military men & women who step up to the challenges to keep us free everyday.
ADXbear
ADXbear 1
See The Movie... "Taking Chance" very good, very emotional..
lzeluck
Being a Travelers Aid Volunteer at JFK for ten years, I have experienced a few of these ceremonies. While reading Captain Aux's article, It got to me emotionally. Thank you Captain Aux, and maybe I will meet you one day going through JFK. It would be an honor to meet you. We must never forget the sacrifices our military does for us.
Musketeer1
Musketeer1 -4
This article seemed more focused on how much of a hero the blogger is than the subject. If you really cared you would have learned the things you mentioned at the start and promoted those instead of your blog.
You didn't learn his name? You had the manifest...from there you could have learned who...and from there you could have learned how, when, where and why he died to tell a real story...to me this article is disgusting.
preacher1
preacher1 6
Having been there, done that, I can say you make some valid points, BUT, although it was put in separately at the end of the article, A focus of the article in this aviation forum was the handling and feeling on the flight itself. As an Airline Captain and coming out of a busy Hub and being the FP as well, there are a hundred reasons why he may not have learned all that. All of us have been in hindsight situations where we wished we'd have done something, after the fact. I personally think it was a good article. You have your opinion and I have mine. This weekend reminds us of why we can freely exchange those opinions.
chalet
chalet -5
What a different way to handle something like this. During the Bush I administration and also on the BushsII regime (yes the one the got the US into the Iraq mess) and after not having found any WMDs at all and due to the ever increasing domestic criticisms, he banned the press from meeting incoming planes at Dover and other AFBs. The caskets were quickly removed from the C-17s and C-5s and sent on to their final resting places. Not a soul to pay respects even for a few short seconds. Read this http://rense.com/general44/dead.htm

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