charlie (ky)
New member
This is from my friend, Cpl Seamus Garrahy in Gettysburg - it renews your faith in human beings.
JW
Subject: PILOTS INTERNET BLOG
'We have H. R. on this flight', she said. (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 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 has 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 onboard', 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 4 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 onboard 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 onboard 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 their
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 down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down
to the ramp to finally be with the loved one lost.
I never did see the family. Another soldier died, another
family grieved and we did what we could. That is the way it
works sometimes. I get a call from the cabin; we work as a team to do
what we can. That day everybody from the flight crew, to the
operations center, to the 184 passengers onboard, we did what we could.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I
made.
They were just words, I could say them over and over again, but
nothing I say will bring that soldier back.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this day and the
sacrifices that millions of men and women have made to ensure
our freedom, safety, and the right to live a good life.
JW
Subject: PILOTS INTERNET BLOG
'We have H. R. on this flight', she said. (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 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 has 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 onboard', 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 4 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 onboard 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 onboard 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 their
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 down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down
to the ramp to finally be with the loved one lost.
I never did see the family. Another soldier died, another
family grieved and we did what we could. That is the way it
works sometimes. I get a call from the cabin; we work as a team to do
what we can. That day everybody from the flight crew, to the
operations center, to the 184 passengers onboard, we did what we could.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I
made.
They were just words, I could say them over and over again, but
nothing I say will bring that soldier back.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this day and the
sacrifices that millions of men and women have made to ensure
our freedom, safety, and the right to live a good life.