A Simple Thank You
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 boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who 'd been
invited to sit in First Class (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
knew
them after 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 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 that I am
proud to be an American.
So here's a public
Thank You
to our
military
Men and
Women
for what you do so we can live the way
we do.
Stuart Margel, Washington, D.C.
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Here are two very very
touching photos honored at this
years
International
Picture of the Year.
First
Place
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First
Place
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 so powerful: "See the
people in the windows? They sat 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
will
remember being on that
plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember
bringing that Marine home. And they should."
Second
Place |
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Second
Place
Todd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News
The night before the burial of her
husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket,
asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The
Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the
flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer
and played songs that reminded her of 'Cat,' and one of the
Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as
she slept. "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing
it," she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted."
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