piratebg
04-12-2006, 07:15 AM
This was sent to me by a friend.
>
>Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine
>sergeant in Dress Blues traveling with a folded flag, but I did not
put
>two and two together. After we'd boarded our flight, I turned to the
>sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (and was seated
>across the aisle from me), and inquired if he was heading home.
>
>"No sir" he responded.
>
>"Heading out?" I asked.
>
>"No. I'm escorting a Marine home."
>
>"Going to pick him up?"
>
>"No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I am taking him
>home to his family."
>
>The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to
>the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't
>know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the
>soldier's family and felt as if he did know them after so many
>conversations in so few days.
>I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, "Thank you. Thank
you
>for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do."
>
>Upon landing in Chicago, the pilot stopped short of the gate and made
>the following announcement over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen,
I
>would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant
Steeley
>of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is
>escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that your
>please remain in your seats when we open the forward door [so as to]
>allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We
>will then turn off the seat belt sign."
>Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant
saluting
>the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me
>realize two things: I am proud to be an American, and I will continue
to
>fly on American Airlines because it respects what our soldiers do
every
>day.
>So here's a public thank-you to our military for doing what you do so
we
>can live the way we do.
>
>Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine
>sergeant in Dress Blues traveling with a folded flag, but I did not
put
>two and two together. After we'd boarded our flight, I turned to the
>sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (and was seated
>across the aisle from me), and inquired if he was heading home.
>
>"No sir" he responded.
>
>"Heading out?" I asked.
>
>"No. I'm escorting a Marine home."
>
>"Going to pick him up?"
>
>"No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I am taking him
>home to his family."
>
>The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to
>the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't
>know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the
>soldier's family and felt as if he did know them after so many
>conversations in so few days.
>I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, "Thank you. Thank
you
>for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do."
>
>Upon landing in Chicago, the pilot stopped short of the gate and made
>the following announcement over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen,
I
>would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant
Steeley
>of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is
>escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that your
>please remain in your seats when we open the forward door [so as to]
>allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We
>will then turn off the seat belt sign."
>Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant
saluting
>the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me
>realize two things: I am proud to be an American, and I will continue
to
>fly on American Airlines because it respects what our soldiers do
every
>day.
>So here's a public thank-you to our military for doing what you do so
we
>can live the way we do.