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Just got back.
On the 10th I got to fly the body of a fallen warrior, LtCol Paul Finken, US Army, from BWI to MSP. He was killed on November 2nd by an IED in Iraq, along with another LtCol and a Sgt.
As we pulled into the gate in BWI, I noticed his escort (LtCol Mike Scott, a West Point class mate of Paul's) in the gate area. His gaze was "locked on" a baggage cart on the ramp, and in his uniform, he stood out.
I introduced myself as a Marine, and asked if I could help. He wanted to get down on the ramp to supervise the loading of his comrade onto our flight.
I took him downstairs and we went straight to the cart. NWA (for once) had done it right. The casket, enclosed in a flag-colored cardboard box with a DoD logo on the foot end, was alone in a cleaned-up and undented baggage cart (who knew we had any?) near the aircraft. The station manager had chosen 4 rampers to load the casket, and each of them walked up to LtCol Scott and shook his hand.
They carefully loaded the casket in the aft cargo hold while the escort rendered a salute. I stood at attention along with the rest of the rampers, fuelers, and the F/O.
When we got up to the cabin, the Lead F/A had already arranged with a first class pax (a Viet Nam vet) to swap seats with the escort.
On descent into MSP I made a P/A to the pax asking them to remain seated after we had blocked-in to allow the "escort of a fallen warrior" to deplane first to allow him to perform his duties. As we pulled-in, the NWA Director of MSP Cargo (LtCol, USMCR) had arranged for another hand-picked team of rampers to help transfer the casket to the OMA flight for the final leg of the journey.
I rushed through the Parking Check, popped the cockpit door, and saw something I've never seen before. Instead of the aisle crammed with humanity chomping to get off the aircraft, only LtCol Scott was standing. Every other person on that flight was seated and watching him straighten his uniform blouse and beret.
As they got off, most of the pax lined up at the window at the gate and watched the casket being unloaded and placed in another clean baggage cart (we have two?). Then a ramper, who identified himself as a former Army Specialist, escorted LtCol Scott to the OMA flight.
I'm loathe to compliment my management, and it's hard to find things at work that make me proud, but I gotta tell ya...everybody, including the pax, made me very proud to be an American, and a NWA pilot.
LtCol Finken was a native of Mason City, Iowa. He leaves behind a wife a 3 kids.
On the 10th I got to fly the body of a fallen warrior, LtCol Paul Finken, US Army, from BWI to MSP. He was killed on November 2nd by an IED in Iraq, along with another LtCol and a Sgt.
As we pulled into the gate in BWI, I noticed his escort (LtCol Mike Scott, a West Point class mate of Paul's) in the gate area. His gaze was "locked on" a baggage cart on the ramp, and in his uniform, he stood out.
I introduced myself as a Marine, and asked if I could help. He wanted to get down on the ramp to supervise the loading of his comrade onto our flight.
I took him downstairs and we went straight to the cart. NWA (for once) had done it right. The casket, enclosed in a flag-colored cardboard box with a DoD logo on the foot end, was alone in a cleaned-up and undented baggage cart (who knew we had any?) near the aircraft. The station manager had chosen 4 rampers to load the casket, and each of them walked up to LtCol Scott and shook his hand.
They carefully loaded the casket in the aft cargo hold while the escort rendered a salute. I stood at attention along with the rest of the rampers, fuelers, and the F/O.
When we got up to the cabin, the Lead F/A had already arranged with a first class pax (a Viet Nam vet) to swap seats with the escort.
On descent into MSP I made a P/A to the pax asking them to remain seated after we had blocked-in to allow the "escort of a fallen warrior" to deplane first to allow him to perform his duties. As we pulled-in, the NWA Director of MSP Cargo (LtCol, USMCR) had arranged for another hand-picked team of rampers to help transfer the casket to the OMA flight for the final leg of the journey.
I rushed through the Parking Check, popped the cockpit door, and saw something I've never seen before. Instead of the aisle crammed with humanity chomping to get off the aircraft, only LtCol Scott was standing. Every other person on that flight was seated and watching him straighten his uniform blouse and beret.
As they got off, most of the pax lined up at the window at the gate and watched the casket being unloaded and placed in another clean baggage cart (we have two?). Then a ramper, who identified himself as a former Army Specialist, escorted LtCol Scott to the OMA flight.
I'm loathe to compliment my management, and it's hard to find things at work that make me proud, but I gotta tell ya...everybody, including the pax, made me very proud to be an American, and a NWA pilot.
LtCol Finken was a native of Mason City, Iowa. He leaves behind a wife a 3 kids.
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