"Welcome Home Buddy!"

The following all began a few weeks earlier when I was out and about doing my chaplain thing, visiting in the various maintenance shops, offices, and squadrons of Travis AFB, CA.  In doing so, on one particular day, I happened into a squadron commander's office where there was discussing regarding a mission to the Ice (Antarctica).  

When I said that I was interested in going along, the commander rather tersely, responded that they would not be taking "strap hangers," those who serve no mission purpose just go along for whatever reason--usually to say they had been someplace or another.  Wishing to go to say I had been there was my only reason except that wherever I went out with an aircrew, I kept clearly in mind that I was there to serve as a chaplain and in whatever need, did so.

In that group was a Christian pilot I knew from an early morning Bible study I attended.  He later came and apologized for the commander's comment.  No problem. That sage advise, "Do not ask the question if you cannot live with the answer," is true beyond the words it takes to say it.  I had gone about my chaplain duties giving it little or no further thought to the matter.

Later that same pilot came to me and offered a much more important mission, one which was at once a great honor and very humbling.  It was a C-141 mission to bring home a Major shot down some 30 years earlier in Southeast Asia.  Of course I agreed to go.  It was to be a two day mission, out one day and back the next.

A few days later we departed Travis AFB, CA and began the few hours necessary to get to Hickam AFB, HI.  We landed, parked the airplane, shut down engines, did the normal maintenance debrief, loaded on the crew bus, and made the customary stops around the base.  No billeting on base and so we ended up spending the  night on Waikiki.  

I always considered it a great honor to fly above the line (as part of the aircrew) and not below the line as a passenger.  As a matter of fact because of the nature of the mission we took no passengers.

Next morning we again loaded onto the crew bus for the return to the base and after stops at base ops and a weather brief we went to the airplane and if memory serves moved and staged it in a DV spot near the terminal.  The load master dropped the ramp at the rear of the airplane. We then waited.

I remember that it was a sunny morning and very comfortable with the gently blowing prevailing trade winds.  Soon more and more people arrived.  There was an honors team present; senior officers representing the uniformed services, no one lower than an O-6; and also present were several Vietnam Vets.  

These were the Majors brothers from Vietnam, veterans from the "place," from "in country."   This was not just another Major, this man was one of them, a brother in the profession of arms. They had come back to an unwelcoming country and now they were there to insure he, though posthumously would be welcomed home.

When all was at the ready, the Major who had been at the Identification Lab was brought out by coach to the airplane.  All was done in silence.  The only sounds came from the commander of the honors team as he gave the appropriate order for the team and all present to honor this man who had given the full measure for his country.  It was solemn, humbling, and the feelings engendered were not unlike those of being in church.

The Major was brought on board the aircraft in his flag draped casket and then that casket was secured.  Very quietly and very reverently.  Once carefully place on board, the honors team exited the air craft, the aircrew closed the ramp, and went through the normal engine start sequence.  Once that was done, we received clearance, taxied out to the end of the active runway, launched and soon we were air born headed for home. 

It was not possible to see from where I sat on the flight deck but I suspect there were those who stayed, standing watch until we had launched and were out of sight. I do not know for sure but I believe because of the DV we had on board we were priority traffic which meant that other ground traffic would be held and such air traffic as we encountered on our course, would be vectored away from our aircraft, not we from them.  What an honor it was to carry our one passenger, to take him home.

Within a few hours we landed at Travis, taxied off the active runway, and staged waiting for the honors team, DVs and others to assemble.  When all was ready we taxied down the taxiway to a parking spot across the tarmac from base ops and shut down engines.  This was near the DV parking spot and truth be told no DV was worthy of more honor than this man and his fallen brothers.   The aircrew by now had taken the straps off of the Major's flag draped casket.  Once parked the load master opened the ramp and and shortly the honors team would come to retrieve the Major. 

You can tell a great deal about a country by how they honor their war dead. 

We, the aircrew at the command of the aircraft commander, then exited out the crew entry door and lined up off the nose of the air craft in order to pay respects to the Major as he came by.  So it was I did not see the honors team as they carried the Major down the ramp and onto his country's soil.  Oh I know he had been in Hawaii for identification but now he was home.  "Welcome home Sir and thank you." 

Soon the Major was placed into the coach from the Port Mortuary and was solemnly driven down and off the flight line.  There may have been others following, in the procession, I do not remember.

As he came by and on the command of the aircraft commander, we the aircrew rendered a hand salute.  Looking across the tarmac there were a number of people, civilians, base dignitaries, and then there were old soldiers from WWII and Korea who had came to pay respects to one of their own.  Most importantly there were Vietnam Vets there that day. 

What became of the Major?  Though I regularly visited the Port Mortuary, I do not know.  Some such as he are welcomed home by family and friend.  Some are not and last I heard were still at the Port Mortuary waiting.  Whether he was received by his family and friends and given honors, I do not know but I do know this. 

For a few hours the Major was honored by his country and his fellow warriors.  But warriors being warriors he would have said, "Who me?"  Give the honors to the guys who really deserve it.  Well, sir, no one deserves it more than you.  Oh, the Vietnam Vets over across the Tarmac, if you looked they were saluting but if you listened ever so carefully you heard them each one in turn, just under a whisper honor their brother, "Welcome home buddy."      

Would I have liked to have gone to the ice.  Yes, I would have but would I trade this flight for going to the ice.  Not for a million dollars nor in a million years would I do so.

"Thank you Major and welcome home!"