Ok DUers this is a sad one so get your kleenex.

[lonestarnot]

This was emailed to me. No I was not on this flight but after viewing this I felt like I was. I am told that the photo and the story may not be related. Here's the story.


Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine
sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but 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 from me), and inquired if he
was heading home.

"No", he responded.

"Heading out", I asked.

"No. I'm escorting a soldier home."

"Going to pick him up?"

"No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I'm 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
you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door
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 that I am proud to be an American. So here's a public thank-you to
our military for doing what you do so we can live the way we do.

Stuart Margel, Washington , D.C.
and

Todd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News
When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno
Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the
flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac.
During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver
International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the
most powerful in the process: "See the people in the windows? They'll sit
right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's
going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought
him home," he said. "They're going to remember being on that plane for the
rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home.
And they should."

[SoCalDemGrrl]

1. Beautiful, just beautiful- Thank you

:cry: :cry:

[wtmusic]

2. thanks for sharing that.

[seabeyond]

3. tears, and so sad. n/t

[karlrschneider]

4. And yet there are so many idiots who post crap (not on DU) about

how Democrats and/or Liberals "dance in the streets" at hearing of troop deaths. They can't accept that we tried like hell to keep our young people from being sent into harms way for lies in the first place. :grr:

[CoffeeCat]

12. Right wing nutjobs spread that malarkey non stop...

You bring up a point that the left/Dems really need to address.

The right (especially right-wing, hate radio) is positioning liberals are people who loathe the military and hate our soldiers. They don't dance around the issue. They flat out say that we hate our soldiers.

Rush Limbaugh CONSTANTLY says that we want more US soldier deaths in Iraq--because we want more anti-war sentiment. He's constantly telling his audience that we want our soldiers to die.

This week, he was scoffing at the "libs" for suddenly siding with the generals who have come out against Rumsfeld. Limbaugh went on and on, "Libs hate the military! They can't stand it! But now...they're gonna listen to the generals??"

This is so sick!! Rush Limbaugh distorts, lies and perpetuates hate for liberals like Hitler did to the Jews. He's deliberately making people loathe the air we breath. I mean, come on--liberals and conservatives have differing political opinions. However, we share common ground. We all want the best for our children. We all love America. We ALL care about our soldiers and do not want them to die in Iraq!

I'm so disgusted about this and how hate radio does this. It's as if they're attempting to commandeer the military (and turn it against liberals)--for some ??? political purpose.

Thanks for bringing up this point...because I think it's quite serious and one we should not ignore.

[wake.up.america]

30. Rummy goes on Rush's show. and whines about anti-war...

advocates being directed by the terrorist, Osama bin Laden. Makes me angry.

[flygal]

41. Someone needs to remind him how many ret soldiers are Dem candidates

I think there were over 20 and none were running as rep.

[Joe Fields]

25. such a waste...n/t

[CoffeeCat]

5. That is so moving...

Thanks for that.

It was sad...as you said.

It's just so tragic. Every Sunday, when I see "This Weeks" 'Fallen" segment, it devastates me. You see their ages and how young they were--and it breaks your heart.

How somber and humbling to be on that flight.

[Redstone]

6. You're not claiming that YOU were on that flight, are you?

Redstone

[lonestarnot]

9. No baby not on that flight.

[SeattleGirl]

7. You were right. It's a sad story, but also a very beautiful one.

Thank you so much for sharing this.

[cynatnite]

8. This story has been posted at a few forums...

but there is nothing else to back it up from what I can see.

The photo is unrelated to the story.

[lonestarnot]

11. Don't know why it couldn't have been someone's reality. That is how it's

done.

[cynatnite]

19. The post is misleading

No link was provided and it came off as your encounter. Then there is the unrelated photo you attached to it.

[lonestarnot]

22. Sorry, I rushed to much. I edited. Is it clear now?

[cynatnite]

27. probably should say somewhere the photo and story are unrelated

Keep in mind, some won't believe it since these types of stories are usually found to be untrue. I personally don't believe the story. Your motives are honorable in relating this to DU, but don't be surprised if you get some harsh criticism over it.

The photo is very powerful.

[lonestarnot]

33. will do.

[Minstrel Boy]

20. was it your reality?

What I mean is, did you write it?

I ask only because it smells to me like ra-ra astroturf, and has been posted elsewhere.

Search string for "The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to"

[lonestarnot]

23. No. I edited the post. Sorry I rushed in posting.

[shugah]

15. that photo comes from another story

i know i read about it on DU, but the details escape me at the moment ...

it was not an uplifitng story, if i recall correctly.

[Redstone]

16. I smell a rat. Google is your friend.

The story has too many elements in common with other bullshit stuff that starts with "I got an e-mail from a friend."

I got ten bucks that says it never happened. No disrespect intended to the OP.

Redstone

[cynatnite]

17. That's my bet, too n/t

[Redstone]

26. But again, NO reflection on the OP for his/her intentions,

which were good ones, yes? I don't want to be casting any aspersions on a fellow DUer here.

Redstone

[cynatnite]

28. agreed. The OP's intentions were sincere, IMO. n/t

[lonestarnot]

24. Yikes. Should I delete the post?

[cynatnite]

29. No, I wouldn't.

Let people make up their own mind about it. You got enough rec's for the greatest page so it'll get seen.

[lonestarnot]

32. Redstone I edited the post.

[shockingelk]

34. Description of rat's smell:

"Bullshit"

a. A Marine sergeant commands about a dozen men. There's no way a sergeant wouldn't intimately know each an every one of hir charges.

b. There's no way an airline would compel passengers to remain on board until a coffin was unloaded.

[Midlodemocrat]

47. Actually, I believe they would re: b.

I was on a flight to San Francisco a year ago and a passenger had a heart attack and died. The pilot asked us all to stay seated until his body could be taken off the plane.

It seems to me that a pilot would have the authority to ask the same thing in a case like this. The picture essentially proves that it does happen.

[fooj]

10. Heartbreaking.......

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[lonestarnot]

13. Yes a real fucked up deal they're getting. Don't cry fooj. We are going

to stop it! Keep fighting.

[fooj]

38. I'll never give up. Ever.

Peace.


and thanks.......:hug:

[Cleita]

14. You are a good person for posting this.

eom

[question everything]

18. Just shows what a powerful image a flag drapped coffin is

thank you

[The Traveler]

21. This war is proving to be a horrible waste of

good fighters.

Even "necessary" wars turn out to be a horrible waste of good fighters, not to mention the innocent bystanders all too often caught in the crossfire.

We need these guys, and owe them much. One of the things we owe them is to not expend them lightly. Surely,when they come home alive but mangled from hell, we owe them proper care.

[AuntiBush]

31. At a Sad Lost for Words...

Heart-wrenching. This shouldn't be.

[northofdenali]

35. ...

:cry:

[stillcool]

36. I remember a while back....there was an 'issue'...

of soldiers coffins being sent home in cargo planes, with no honor guard waiting for them. One of the families was a military family, that spoke out about it, for the benefit of other families who didn't know the protocol. I'll see if I can find some articles....

[lonestarnot]

39. Cool. I remember that. I was really pissed.

[RagingInMiami]

37. That is one of my all-time favorite photos

[lonestarnot]

40. It is now one of my favorites.

[aaronbees]

42. Heisler just won the Pulitzer for those photos

Strange, I was just looking at the photo essay of Heisler's online today, thinking how amazing it was. Here's an article at the Rocky Mountain News about him: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4629004,00.html. Click on the "Presentation: Final Salute" link for more of his photos; they're quite powerful.

Not sure about the first e-mail portion; it does strike me as somewhat believable, though.

[flyarm]

43. heart breaking is all i can say...i have no words only tears......

that is the airline i worked for most of my life...as crew...and i know most of Americans pilots are all retired AF..or ANG...

so heart wretching,..

fly:cry: :cry: :cry:

[King Coal]

44. Too bad the story doesn't say that the poor soldier died in vain.

The president's insane
and the soldiers die in vain.
There. How's that for something to cry about? Did that poor soldier die protecting us? No. He died as a result of an insane president and an insane Secretary of Defense.

[tomreedtoon]

45. Two thoughts: Breach of Security and A More Probable Reaction.

First, it's a breach of security for anyone to mention that there is a dead soldier on a plane. The official Bushian line is that NO American soldiers have died in the Middle East. You can't even take pictures of the casket. So that sergeant, by letting out the secret, is probably in Leavenworth now.

Second, it's more probable that when that announcement is made on a plane, a big fat businessman in a suit will say, "Screw that! I gotta get another drink!" and push his way past the flight attendants on his way to the airport bar.

[0007]

46. The Marines handle dead returns much different than the

other services. This is the way it should be!

[porphyrian]

48. Funny how an airline has more respect for the dead than bush. - n/t