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!!!! 

NESARA- Restore America – Galactic News