An airline with class. Bravo.

Flying a fallen soldier and those who accompany them, is something that you never forget. It touches you deeply and these flights as you can imagine, are very emotional for everyone. It is a true honor however to be able to perform this final act for our servicemen and women on their final journey and bring them home. When you arrive and make the announcement to the pax to remain seated so that the family and or military escorts can leave the aircraft first and be escorted to the ramp, it is suddenly and eerily silent in the cabin. Very sobering. We once had a flight where a guard was on the ramp made up of Vets from the hometown of the young soldier and a bagpiper was playing.....very difficult to keep it together while standing there. In truth, I could not.
 
Good stuff. I would point out that at least one of the pilots was from somewhere other than Delta, as the uniforms don't match, so it's not just Delta here.
 
I know this one is a few years old, but it gives you a pretty good sense of what is waiting for a flight as it comes in with military remains on board. I think this was at Miami.

 
I was able to volunteer to accompany a military escort from ATL to DCA. We had the remains of a World War II Army Air Corps pilot who was shot down in 1942 over Europe. JPAC found his remains on one of their mission in Europe. They were able to identity him and he was interred at Arlington Cemetery.
 
I know this one is a few years old, but it gives you a pretty good sense of what is waiting for a flight as it comes in with military remains on board. I think this was at Miami.



That's been in my "favorites" for years, I watch it when I need a dose of reality or a reminder that there still are good people out there.
 
Have seen a few Kalitta Falcon 20s come through ORF with departed soldiers on board. Pretty sombering to see the families escorted out and line up as the casket is removed. Thankfully, every crew and passenger has been classy enough to STFU and let the family have their time, schedules be damned.
 
The process is also very solemn and respectful when they leave the AOR. I've been a part of bringing quite a few guys out of Afghanistan/Iraq. I really remember one in particular- a 20 year old kid had gotten killed earlier that day by an IED, and half the base was present on the flightline. Hundreds of people, including all of the base leadership. They were able to play bagpipes through a PA while this kid's friends and coworkers carried his casket onboard. Absolutely everyone was a mess. We flew him to Kuwait Int'l, and he was home about 15 hours later.

Usually the back of the Herk is packed with people and equipment- it's almost eerie when it's completely empty except for a transfer case.
 
Continental used to do the same thing. I would assume they still do but I haven't seen it in a while. I had a very interesting experience a last year in PVD. There was a procession under police escort meeting a Delta aircraft to retrieve the remains of one of our fallen. I offered to do the walk around for my FO, in the rain, and saw the procession going to the Delta gates, and I guess Clearance Delivery was letting other aircraft know what was going on. As the procession left my FO and I, and the crews to every aircraft we could see were standing outside their aircraft with hands over heart or saluting the procession when it left. It was a moving experience and awesome to be a part of.
 
Saw one a while back while walking through a terminal transfer bridge. EVERYBODY on that bridge stopped and lined up at the windows.
 
Most people I know who have worked at a hub for more than a year or two, sadly, have stories about seeing or being a part of something like this. Yet, I haven't seen this at SFO. What I have seen, however, were various water cannon salutes for live soldiers returning home from combat. Usually on US Airways or United.
 
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