Last flight inspired reverent silence
Editor’s note: Bret Dalton, a West Point graduate and executive recruiter from Colorado, e-mailed this letter to The Spokesman-Review early on Wednesday recounting an experience from the previous evening.
Dear Spokane:
It is late and I am weary from the road, but I could not head off to bed without writing to you about a very special flight I had tonight as I traveled here for business.
I was changing planes in Denver this afternoon when I checked the departures board and saw that the flight to Spokane was delayed. Frustrated, I wandered off to do nothing of particular worth.
As I wandered, however, I noticed a young soldier in his dress uniform with spit-shined boots, a maroon beret, and looking very sharp. He clearly was on an important mission, and given my own military service in years past I was pretty sure that I knew the nature of his mission.
Time passed and soon enough we were all boarding the flight. As I walked down the jetway, I could see this same soldier walking near the aircraft down on the runway. I suspected that my inclination about his mission was accurate.
The flight went off without incident and pretty much no one was the wiser, until the seat belt sign went on during our approach. At that time the captain of the flight came over the loudspeaker with his customary message about our arrival time and the weather. Then he said, in a deliberate and steady voice:
“Ladies and gentleman, tonight we all have had the honor of flying to Spokane with an American hero on his last trip home, Spec. Ryan Bell, who has made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Sgt. Torres of the 82nd Airborne is accompanying Spec. Ryan and I ask that when we land you please remain seated and allow Sgt. Torres to depart first as he rejoins his fallen comrade.”
As you can imagine, everyone went silent. As the plane rolled up to the gate, people saw the honor guard standing on the runway.
At the gate, Sgt. Torres stood up tall, put on his jacket, and headed off the plane. People began to slowly file off the plane, but rather than rush off to meet loved ones and snag our bags, almost everyone made a right turn once in the terminal and quietly took up positions along the long stretch of glass looking down at our plane and the runway. Then others from other flights began to gather to see what was happening. Soon, it was a large crowd.
Yes, the honor guard with a representative from each of our nation’s armed forces was standing at attention. There was a good bit of activity around the plane. Bags were being off-loaded, and maintenance was being addressed.
Time went on and as I stood looking out the glass I wondered if people would become impatient and leave before seeing this hero begin the final segment of his journey home. Then I heard a cell phone ring down the line a ways, and the gentleman who answered it spoke quickly in hushed tones and said, “Tell Mommy I’ll be out in a few minutes,” and he hung up. Time continued to pass and others received calls, which were all handled in a similarly respectful manner, but no one was leaving. There was complete silence. After probably a full 10 minutes, the gentleman beside me whispered very softly, “I have never heard an airport as quiet as this.” I nodded in agreement.
After a few more minutes, the casket, draped with a pristine U.S. flag, was lowered out of the plane onto the runway. The hearse pulled up nearby, and the honor guard marched with great precision to its appointed place around the casket. These young Americans serving in each of our nation’s military services lifted the casket with care and respect, and placed it in the hearse.
We all watched this event unfold before us without sound since we were inside the terminal and standing perfectly silent at the glass. Throughout this time the crowd of Spokanites and visitors was reverent and respectful and appropriately somber; clearly an impression was made on all of us.
As the crowd broke up and began to move toward the exit, there was still silence. I will forever recall this flight as one of my greatest honors in life. Today, I got to fly to Spokane with a true American hero.