[PBARC] Fwd: GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN

[Keith]

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Begin forwarded message:

> From: Richard Grimmett <nucleus1 at att.net>
> Date: February 23, 2010 9:45:22 PM CST
> To: Ben Bradley <benbrad at cablelynx.com>, Carl Big Mo & Tami Watson <spiritotheshadow at yahoo.com 
> >, debbieadams57 at yahoo.com, George Wagner <g.wagner15 at yahoo.com>, jcrider02 at yahoo.com 
> , joe4abba at yahoo.com, Keith Cook <kk5zd at aristotle.net>, lonlon489111 at sbcglobal.net 
> , Mike Craig <big2006m at yahoo.com>, Paul & Katherine Faultersack <pfaultersack at sbcglobal.net 
> >, rayyo77 at gmail.com, roger owen <roano440 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Fw: GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN
>

> I beleive  you are a veteran, please read....
>
> --- On Tue, 2/23/10, Allen B. Casteel <allcast at windstream.net> wrote:
>
> From: Allen B. Casteel <allcast at windstream.net>
> Subject: Fw: GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN
> To: "Richard Grimmett" <nucleus1 at att.net>, Rfrdjcast at aol.com, "My  
> Love Mel" <mel_romine at yahoo.com>, "Mike Stokes" <mstokes at wehco.com>,  
> "Mike" <big2006m at yahoo.com>, "LuVonda Farmer"  
> <luvonda2001 at yahoo.com>, leola509 at yahoo.com, "Hutcheson, Elaine" <Elaine.Hutcheson at tyson.com 
> >, "gail.wat at westfraser.com" <gail.watson at westfraser.com>, "Everette  
> Watson" <calvertchief at windstream.net>, "Don Casteel"  
> <drcast1 at cox.net>, "Dan Rucker" <ruckerdan at yahoo.com>, "Chris  
> Fischer" <cfischer71 at hotmail.com>, "C.W. Capps" <cwcapps at windstream.net 
> >
> Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 5:56 PM
>
>
>
> from:
> Tim Richardson, Senior Avionics Electrical Engineer
> Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., Little Rock, Arkansas
>
>
>
>
>
> Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010, 12:17 PM
>
>
>
> ---
>
>
>
>  Subject: FW: GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN
>
>
>
>
> 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 on his own..
>
>   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 on board', 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 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 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 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 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, 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:
>
>  As a Vietnam veteran I think of all the veterans including the ones  
> that rode below the deck on their way home and how they were  
> treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country  
> has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the  
> various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.
>
> You don't have to be a veteran to have tears in your eyes while  
> reading this. Thank You to all who have served and are still serving.
>
>
>
>
> ...against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC!
>
>
>
>
>
> Tim (popsmurf) Murphy
>
>
>
>
>
> "IN  'GOD'  WE TRUST!"
>
>
>
> PS. NEVER RE-ELECT ANYBODY!!
>
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