A Hero’s Salute

A Hero’s Salute

Memorial Day Story

This great story was passed on to me by a good friend and great veteran.

MAY GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN:

He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.
'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .

Foot note:
As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they were treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.

I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer for our soldiers Don't break it!

Prayer:
'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen..'

Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.

There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.

GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Health Care Bill Fine Print

Sent by my ever vigilant field reporter Cous

You really need to read this……starts next year
This is supposed to be part of the new Health Care Bill.


The originator of this notice contacted his Congressman about House bill HR3590 the health care bill, that just passed, and asked for a summary of changes. An aid directed him to go to www: thomas.gov ; enter HR3590 in the search Box and look for summaries.
Starting in 2011 (next year folks) your W 2 tax form sent by your employer Will be increased to show the value of what ever health insurance you are Given by the company. It does not matter if that's a private concern or Governmental body of some sort. If you're retired ? So what; your gross Will go up by the amount of insurance you get

The dollar value (cost of what the company pays for your insurance) will be considered income and added to your gross pay. You will be taxed on the total.

You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have never seen.

Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or $20,000
Additional gross does to your tax debt. That's what you'll pay next year.
For many it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even worse.

This is how the government is going to buy insurance for 15 % that don't
Have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases.

Not believing this I researched the summaries and here's what I read:

On page 25 of 29 :

TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE A: REVENUE OFFSET PROVISIONS-(sec .
9001 , as modified by sec. 10901)
Sec.9002. "requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employees gross income."

Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters. Go to
Kiplingers and read about 13 tax changes that could affect you. Number 3 is what I just told you about.

Term Limit Reform Now! Already

Getting rid of a corrupt politician is like trying to get rid of an infestation of cock roaches. Read up on impeachment and you will find that achieving that is less possible then landing man on Mars. With the advent of the PC,the internet and computing capabilities that mimic the human brain in which decisions and changes can be made in a heart beat it seems to me that the only way we will be able to reform this dinosaur of American Politics is to speed up the process of regime changes and restore DC back to a center for Public Servants and not career elite taxpayer welfare recipients. I am suggesting new term limits for each level of government including the Judicial. I am also suggesting a limit to how many jobs you may hold. No more than two at the Federal Level. How long the terms? 2 years. This is the time length the average CEO is given to bring a company around. More than enough time. And you can serve no more than two of these two year terms. In this way if someone like our current admin turns out to be a nightmare run amuck we can vote the idiots out in two. I would also put an end to relatives holding the same office. This would end monarchies. No more lifetime jobs. Political science is no longer taught in colleges as a career option. Benefits would only include a salary and deductions for social security and their out of pocket paid healthcare plan. No lifetime salary, no lifetime fully paid healthcare, no paid security upon leaving office. Supreme Court justices will be selected via lottery like public defenders from the pool of high court justices currently serving in their states and not selected by the President. This would insure a variety of people and ideals. Their mandate wound be to uphold the ideals of the Constitution and not to make law. With no opportunity for wealth gain in politics this will insure that true public servants will be applying for the jobs instead of power hungry dictators. Two year terms would force government to operate in a more efficient way. When you vote urge your candidates to sponsor term limit bills. It's time to return government to serving the American people instead of the other way around. Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your government is doing to you.









http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/1994/08/BG994nbsp-Term-Limitsnbsp-The-Only-Way

http://www.timefortermlimits.com/

http://www.americanreform.org/index.php/position/termlimits

https://www.cato.org/dailys/08-31-01.html

Open Letter to Illegal’s: Are You Looking for Instant Citizenship or just Becoming Voluntary Slaves?

Many leftist organizations have used Arizona’s desperation for securing her borders against drug cartel thugs and criminals in human trafficking and insuring the safety of their citizens to stir up illegal’s to a fever to advance their agenda and the agenda of the current regime controlling America’s dying Republic.

I am writing those individuals who have come to this country illegally or are staying to work long past their green card allowances who have been rallied to a false anger. You are being used and manipulated by Castro enthusiasts like Victor Toro http://vdare.com/kahn/070808_toro.htm and drug cartel purchased and placed foreign born local American politicians. The last thing they have in mind is your best interest.

Many third world countries encourage illegal immigration to the United States to alleviate the financial burden of their impoverished nations and gain monies made by their citizens working in the States that is sent home. In the mean time legal citizens are driven bankrupt providing free and subsidized services to persons such as yourselves through ever escalating taxes on income, property ,goods and services. Don’t believe our current Dictators words. He is taxing everything in site and it is affecting everyone. Frankly with the unemployment rates in the double digits and positions that are available paying no more than poverty level wages coupled with higher and more numerous taxes the very country you are so ardent to work in is falling apart and looking much like the country you have fled. America’s wealthy have already left for greener pastures and the working classes are left as usual giving all their money to the government only to have it returned in crumbs left from the Dictators table with very little to show for it. That is why Americans are so angry and have formed old school founding father revolution movements to return our country back to the hands of people and out of the Marxist Socialist Dictator that deceived Americans.

Just why is the left referring to you as “undocumented” and not “illegal”? Why were there two questions regarding Hispanic people on the recent census short form that many illegals were more than thrilled to fill out? Why not the usual one question on race?

Remember the term “undocumented”? The Obama administration could care less about community needs. The administration wants to “Document” exactly where these illegal workers live. They will be more than glad to grant amnesty from the illegal entry in return for votes and you can bet your bottom dollar there will be Union thugs and militant organization brown shirts that will be knocking on your door to make sure you vote the “proper” way.

But the real reason they are ultimately willing to grant you amnesty is to obtain cheap labor that will generate more tax dollars into their empty pockets. No longer will you be paid in cash but you will be paid as every American via direct deposit checks in which 60 to 70 % of your meager salary will be garnished for the Federal and State taxes. Not only will you now be paid a fraction of your meager salary, but the free benefits you have been enjoying will now be paid for by you. You have not just become a legal US citizen but you have now volunteered to be a new American indentured slave like everyone else.

What had living in America really brought you? Your families are broken up, your children have fallen into drugs or gangs or worse and you still live in fear. Is it really worth it?

What would be the best thing that illegal immigrants can do today but to return in mass to their homeland armed to the teeth and take back their own countries from their weak dictators and undermanned drug cartels and create your own strong republics.

If a few Nuns can fight drug cartel thugs who better than you? Read the history of American’s Founding Fathers. They fought for their country and took it from the Dictators with frankly a peasant army. Remember there are more of you then there are of them. Latin gang leaders would it not be better to fight for your own freedom instead defending a city block or neighborhood in some foreign country that does not cherish your culture or would you rather continue living in fear of rival gangs and watch your own lives and the lives of your families cut short? Do you think it is just by luck that the police can not stop you? Fight your real enemies in your own countries. Take back your own countries and cultures. I have seen your determination and your work ethic and there is nothing you can not do here that you can not do in your own country. Look carefully at your own countries and you will see the bounty of natural resources and manpower that is available. Do not allow the petty dictator of our country or your countries dictate your destiny. If you do, you will only become another slave to another country that is not your home. True freedom is the ability to determine your own destiny. True freedom is the ability to live your life in peace and plenty reaping the benefits of your own labor and not handing it over to some petty dictator in return for a few crumbs and a life lived in fear.

Making Americans responsible for doing their own work will make Americans healthier physically, spiritually and financially. We will begin to prosper again and become a better customer for the goods produced in your own countries. It will also cut the head off our petty dictators and allow us also to regain our republic back. Together our countries will be renewed and control will finally be returned to those that labor and not those that have been raping our peoples. Don’t exchange American Citizenship for a new set of shackles. Return home and fight to make it free! Tell Obama and his union thugs that you will no longer be his slave. Don’t accept these shackles of oppression. Become the founders of your own free republic in your homeland.

Viva Our Homelands. Viva Our Republics!