[FONT="]"I had an experience today that really moved me - to the point where I put my thoughts & feelings on paper when I got back to the office. I thought you might like to read it. Love, Dad[/FONT][FONT="]
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A Fallen Warrior
[FONT="]Moments ago I stood at attention @ gate C15 @ RDU, along with a few dozen other travelers, with tears running down my face as I experienced one of the more emotional moments I’ve had in quite some time. This episode began in Atlanta where I had just boarded a Raleigh-bound flight and had taken my seat in 1C – the first row on the isle. The gentleman seated next to me immediately turned and mentioned that there was Army colonel he had met in the gate area who would be on the Raleigh flight and he was escorting a soldier’s body back to Ft. Bragg, NC. The soldier had been killed in action in Afghanistan.[/FONT]
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[FONT="]I kept an eye on the entrance to the plane to get a look at this colonel and when I got my first look, you could he was a soldier’s soldier and not a paper shuffler. As he turned the corner and started down the aisle, I stood to block his advance and indicated that my fist class seat was now his and requested his boarding pass in coach. He looked a bit surprised for a moment, but then said ‘are you sure’? I said ‘yes, sir’ and he handed me his boarding pass & began my trek to coach. At that point it became a bit embarrassing when 2 flight attendants approach me and asked if there as anything at all they could do for me. I thanked them & told them no. Then the flight attendant from first class brought the drink I had ordered before departing ‘first’, ask me what sort of snacks I wanted, and also asked if there was anything she could do for me. I asked her just to take care of the guy who was in my original seat. It was surreal because they were acting as though I had done something great when there was a man up front who was escorting a fallen comrade on his last trip home. Beyond that, the remainder of the flight was uneventful.[/FONT]
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[FONT="]Upon arriving @ RDU, the pilot announced that we were carrying some ‘precious cargo’ and asked that we remain seated while the escort of that cargo exited the plane first to attend to his duties. By this time, I think most passengers understood what was going on and not a single person on the plane even stood up when the bell sounded indicating we were at the gate. Upon the colonel’s exit, several passengers actually moved to empty seats on the right side of the aircraft to witness the next series of events.[/FONT]
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[FONT="]Several of us did exit the aircraft but walked to the window in the gate area to witness the ceremony. First of all, no other service vehicles approach the aircraft – no fuel trucks, no luggage carts, no catering – just a single baggage trolley with a place for a casket with the casket area covered with a replica of the American flag. Two soldiers in camo mounted the ramp coming from the cargo bay and eased the casket out. It was covered by a bottomless cardboard box that had a huge American flag embossed on the side. Upon removing the box, the flag-draped casket was revealed to onlookers. The casket was rolled down the ramp by the soldiers to the trolley & stopped. At this point, a 6 man honor guard marched in cadence to a point near the casket. Then a family, with a young African American woman in the center, slowly approached the casket. The young woman, escorted by an older woman (possible her mother) walked right up next to the casket and laid her hand on the flag covering the casket. She stood there a moment or two displaying an unbelievable amount of poise & composure in the process. Her man was now home, she had felt him, and then she slowly backed away to join the rest of her party. The honor guard loaded the casket onto the trolley and rolled down the side cover of the trolley – the one that was a huge American flag. As the trolley began its journey away from the plane, the entire military contingent stood at attention and saluted until the casket as out of sight. You could have heard a pin drop in the gate area. One passenger had his hand over his heart. A woman next to me was sniffling and obviously crying but no one took their gaze from the casket or the ceremony. Me, as I said, had tears running down my face. A few people took a photo with their camera phones but not in an disrespectful way. I elected not to do so even though I would have liked to have had a memento of what we were witnessing[/FONT]
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[FONT="]Hearing on the news that people have been killed or wounded in battle seems to lose its impact after a while. But witnessing what I saw today makes one realize just how much sacrifice our service men and women, and their families, are making to defend our country and the freedom we hold so dear. I wish everyone could have seen what I saw today – it will be remembered until the day I die."[/FONT]
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