Final Flight...tissue alert!
I do NOT want to turn this into a political thread and will delete it if it does. Please respect LT. Jared Landaker
A Final Flight:
Diary Of A Last and Final Flight Home
>
> February 17, 2007,
> 0350
> I was at curbside at 24th and M, Washington DC . 16 Degrees with a
>light breeze. Going home after my second week of freezing temps to my warm
>home in SoCal. Take a walk on the beach, ride a horse, climb a mountain and
>get back to living. I'm tired of the cold.
>
> 0425
> paying the taxi fare at Dulles in front of the United Airlines counter,
>still cold.
>
> 0450
> engaged the self-serve ticker machine and it delivers my ticket, baggage
>tag and boarding pass. Hmmm, that Marine over there is all dressed up in
>his dress blues a bit early this morning... 'Good Morning Captain, you're
>looking sharp.' He says, 'Thank you, sir.'
>
> Pass Security and to my gate for a decaf coffee and 5 hours sleep. A
>quick check of the flight status monitor andUA Flt 211 is on time. I'm up
>front, so how bad can that be? Hmmm, there's that same Marine. He must be
>heading to Pendleton to see his lady at LAX for the long weekend, all
>dressed up like that. Or maybe not. Idunno.
>
> The speaker system announces 'Attention in the boarding area, we'll
>begin boarding in 10 minutes, we have some additional duties to attend to
>this morning, but we'll have you out of here on time.'
>
> The Marine Captain has now been joined by five others. BINGO, I get it,
>he's not visiting his lady, he's an official escort. I remember doing that
>once, CACO duty. I still remember the names of the victim and family, The
>Bruno Family in Mojave - all of them, wows, that was 24 years ago.
>
> On board, 0600:
> 'Good morning folks, this is the Captain. This morning we've been
>attending to some additional duties, and I apologize for being 10 minutes
>late for push back, but I believe we'll be early into LAX. This morning it
>is my sad pleasure to announce that 1st LT Jared Landaker, USMC will be
>flying with us to his Big Bear home in Southern California . Jared lost
>his life over the skies of Iraq earlier this month, and today we have the
>honor of returning him home along with his mother, father and brother .
>Please join me in making the journey comfortable for the Landaker family
>and their uniformed escort. Now sit back and enjoy your ride. We're not
>expecting any turbulence until we reach the Rocky Mountain area, but we'll
>do what we can to ensure a smooth ride. For those interested, you can
>listen in to our progress on Channel 9.'
>
> Click Channel 9: 'Good morning UA 211. You are cleared to taxi,
>takeoff and cleared to LAX as filed.'
>
> 4 hours and 35 minutes later over Big Bear MT, the AB320 makes a left
>roll, a steep bank and then one to the right-Nice touch. Nice tribute.
>Five minutes out from landing, the Captain comes on the speaker: 'Ladies
>and Gents, after landing I'm leaving the fasten seatbelt sign on, and I ask
>everyone to please yield to the Landakerfamily. Please remain seated until
>all members of the family have departed the aircraft. Thank you for your
>patience. We are 20 minutes early.'
>
> On roll out, I notice red lights, emergency vehicles approaching. We're
>being escorted directly to our gate, no waiting, not even a pause. Out the
>left window, a dozen Marines in full dress blues. A true class act by
>everyone, down to a person. Way to go United Airlines for doing things
>RIGHT, Air Traffic Control for getting the message, and to all security
>personnel for your display of brotherhood.
>
> When the family departed the aircraft everyone sat silent, then I heard
>a lady say,'God Bless you and your family, and thank you.' Then a somber
>round of applause. The Captain read a prepared note from Mrs.Landaker to
>the effect, 'Thank you all for your patience and heartfelt concern for us
>and our son. We sincerely appreciate the sentiment. It's good to have
>Jared home.'
>
> After departing the a/c I found myself along with 30 others from our
>flight looking out the lobby window back at the plane. Not a dry eye. It
>was one of the most emotional moments I've ever experienced. We all stood
>there silently, and watched as Jared was taken by his honor guard to an
>awaiting hearse. Then the motorcade slowly made it's way off the ramp.
>
> I realized I had finally seen the silent majority. It is deep within us
>all. Black, Brown, White, Yellow, Red, Purple, we're all children,
>parents, brothers, sisters, etc - we are an American family.
>
> Official Report: February 7, 2007, Anbar Province , Iraq .. 1st LT
>Jared Landaker United States Marine Corps, from Big Bear California , gave
>his life in service to his country. Fatally wounded when his
>CH-46helicopter was shot down by enemy fire. Jared and his crew all
>perished. His life was the ultimate sacrifice of a grateful military
>family and nation.
>
> His death occurred at the same time as Anna Nicole Smith, a drug using
>person with a 7th grade education of no pedigree who dominated our news for
>two weeks while Jared became a number on CNN. And most unfortunately,
>Jared's death underscores a fact that we are a military at war, not a
>nation at war. It has been said that Marines are at war. America is at the
>mall.
>
> 1st LT Landaker, a man I came to know in the sky's over America on 17
>February 2007, from me to you, aviator to aviator, I am unbelievably
>humbled. It was my high honor to share your last flight. God bless you.
>
> Semper Fi
