Flight turns unforgettable when passengers learn of fallen soldier

[avebury]

This must have been a very moving moment.


http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/fallen-soldier-213011521.html

Delta Flight 2255 from Atlanta to Los Angeles seemed to be an ordinary flight with the exception of Candy, who was the most loving flight attendant I’ve ever encountered. Besides using her Southern charm to quickly defuse every situation, she began her welcome announcement by thanking the handful of uniformed soldiers on-board for serving our country. Her poignant message was followed by applause, and it put into perspective that none of us would be able to do what we do without these brave men and women.
But this transcontinental flight turned out to be everything but ordinary. We later learned, when the captain got on the PA system about 45 minutes prior to landing, that we were transporting a fallen soldier. The plane went quiet as he explained that there was a military escort on-board and asked that everyone remain seated for a couple of minutes so the soldiers could get off first. He also warned us not to be alarmed if we see fire trucks since Los Angeles greets their fallen military with a water canon salute. See my video below.

A few minutes after touchdown, we did indeed have a water canon salute, which I’d previously only experienced on happy occasions like inaugural flights. This time, the water glistening on the windowpanes looked like tears.

[LuckyLib]

1. Beautiful. Class exhibited by Delta crew.

[Enrique]

2. where did the other camera angles come from? n/t

[sheshe2]

3. Tears for the fallen, avebury.

Thank you for sharing, so beautiful and sad.

[Bigmack]

4. What a waste...

...I mean of a good young American.

A precious life wasted...

Would that this country honored the living person as much as the fallen by not sending them on these ridiculous military adventures.

[Le Taz Hot]

6. I'm in agreement.

I mean, it was a nice gesture on the part of Delta and I am grateful to the OP for posting but anytime I see something like this I just get angry. This young person died so a few already wealthy people could get wealthier and our own government was a part of it.

As a Boomer who seethes when thinking about the 57,000+ American deaths and millions of Vietnamese deaths and saw them as complete wastes, this always hits a nerve. I wish the people who voted for war would be the people to actually go and fight these wars. I've a feeling there would be far fewer wars.

[Victor_c3]

9. +1 from me. A total and complete waste.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. Fallen soldiers get back up.

Back in my time what happened to this poor slob was he got wasted. Wasted. Wasted because he was part of an occupation force in a foreign land fighting people who did not want to be occupied. Wasted because an indifferent government that cannot care for its own people wastes its treasury on dreams of global empire, and in doing so wastes the lives of the soldiers serving in its armies.

He died. He was killed in a meaningless stupid never ending war. His life was wasted. No water cannons or empty moments of shallow nationalism will alter this reality.

[malaise]

7. +1,000

Agreed

[jsr]

8. No truer words.

[Victor_c3]

10. Another +1 from me n/t