Letter from an airline pilot

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Letter from an airline pilot

Via email
Posted by "null and void"
Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Letter from an airline pilot:

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 pre-flight 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 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 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 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, the 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 has served their country 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

'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.'

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 & others deployed
in harms way, prayer is the very best one.

A special note from a FReeper:

I want every member of the US military to know that WE
THE PEOPLE of these United States give them full and
unconditional support in doing whatever they need to do
to protect our Country and faithfully defend Her
Constitution against ALL enemies, Foreign and Domestic.

"null and void" on FreeRepublic.com

I don't always forward emails, and until today I never
added a personal note before passing one on.

I expect there will be some who take exception to my
addition.

It's not like I'm not already on a list, although today I
may have earned a higher place. So be it.

Pass it on, if you please...

Posted by "null and void"

A discussion here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2959095/posts

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti