"Those of us that are blessed to be called aviation professionals have good days and bad days just like everyone else. We also get to experience the close cousin to those days; they’re known as the “easy” day and the “tough” day. They may seem the same thing, but they’re actually very different."

Final Flight by Guest Writer William "BBall" Ball
http://SimHQ.com/_air14/air_534a.html

One of the best articles I've read in quite a while.

+1

Interesting article, well written. You were obviously moved by your participation in this repatriation and it shows.

It was a little too heavily laden with sentiment for my taste. I would have omitted the stuff about dying "freedom" and "democracy" since the death of a 19 year old doesn't require any qualifiers to be tragic and I doubt that many young blokes really know what they are or that they care very much about these grandiose ideals.

To my mind it would be more accurate to say that he sacrificed his life in spite of freedom and democracy. These hallowed structures are supposed to protect us, not the other way around. They are supposed to exist so that 19 year old kids don't have to get themselves killed abroad.

They've failed us and, perhaps, in some ways, we've failed them. We've also failed this young man along with many other young people into the bargain.

That's my $0.02AUD anyway, thanks for an interesting read.

Damn these allergies, making my eyes water like that.

Great article, thanks very much for publishing that.

Jimmy, I find your comments insensitive and a bit uncalled for. These kids know exactly what they are signing up for when they go to the recruiters office the minute they graduate high school. We've been at war (this war anyways) for nearly 11 years now. We're fighting it to make sure the horrors of 9/11 are not repeated by the people who planned and carried out the attacks. You can't tell me that these kids aren't fighting for freedom and democracy. It's the American way of life that they are fighting for out there. It just happens to be so over politicized now that people are forgetting why we're over there.

-------------------

BBall, loved the sentiment and the article. I've been on a flight that had a Marine escort on it and I had the privilege of sitting next to him. The Captain and FO were both Ex-Navy and really made sure that everyone on board knew what was going on. When we got to O'Hare, everyone on the plane was silent as a mouse while he got off and the coffin was taken from the plane. Very chilling.

If anyone wants something else to watch/see with what happens with these types of flight, I highly recommend "Taking Chance".

Awesome article. Brought tears to my eyes, especially after what my nephew has just been through.

Great article, well written with allot of hart and respect

Salute!

What has been called heavily laden with sentiment, I would simply call honest.

I hope members of his family will find this touching description of his final flight. I'm sure it would provide a smidgen of comfort for them.

Really great movie, every time I watch it my allergies start to kick in.

Myself being a former member of USAF Base Honor Guard, I've been in similar situation. It gets very emotional at times.

BBall, thank you for taking the time to express your heartfelt emotions of both being a proud patriot of your country and it's warfighters, and a parent of a Service member. I would shake your hand as well for the personal touches put into bringing that fallen Warrior back to his home and family as gracefully as you could possibly make it.

As a former Infantry First Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant during this conflict, I have conducted a few escorts of my fallen Warriors and conducted Casualty Assistance Officer for the fallen Warriors families as well. It is absolutely an overwhelming feeling of duty bound commitment to ensure all manners of prefessional courtesy are extended to all involved, especially the family. It has always been an honor to escort the Warrior back to their family for repatriation and be able to impart some personal references of how their Warrior was part of a larger family, my family and what he meant to me. Perhaps miniscule, but I have felt it personalizes that Warriors memories to me and helped to make their Son not feel like a number, but my family member.

To Jimmy Blonde, not a single Soldier that I have served with has ever felt like they were simply there for a paycheck or checking a block. The Soldiers I see today know what odds they face and the fact that they willingly volunteer to go into harms way when other do not, makes them heroes in my definition of freedom and democaracy. They are not conscripts or wayward criminals eluding jail time, they are all volunteers of the highest caliber. So, please refrain from your insensitivities in this forum. Go open your own forum elsewhere and spew your own political devices amongst people who are less informed then this current group of simmers.

Never for one moment, while reading this, did the thought occur to me that it was overly sentimental. Jimmy Blonde is way off base, here. As a matter of fact, he isn't in the ball park.
As a former airline employee I've handled way too many of these. You can't help but feel all of those emotions written here.
To say that freedom and democracy should have kept this young man from going in harms way, and losing his life shows that Mr. Blonde doesn't understand something very important.
We have freedom and democracy, because, for over two hundred years, people like this were willing to give their lives to preserve it.

As always, you tell a wonderful story, Mr. Ball.

Mr. Ball,
Those of us that have had to sacrifice and pay a price for our service in the Gulf Region appreciate your sentiment so well put into words.
It is people like you that make it all worth while.
Thank You

As a former Army vet, this article made my eyes tear up.

As a former solider who served in Afghanistan in 2003 to 2004. I have to admit I am actually having a hard time writing this reply. As reading your emotional story I admit has me choked up. But as I did then I will do now and push through and write this post. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing this young man the respect and Honor he deserves. And I pray to god that your son and all my brothers and sisters come home from this war and that divine providence keeps them safe.


Thank you for a wonderful story

SPC B. Greenlee

Operation Enduring Freedom

1st Bn 501 Inf Reg

Fort Richardson Alaska

"To Jimmy Blonde, not a single Soldier that I have served with has ever felt like they were simply there for a paycheck or checking a block. The Soldiers I see today know what odds they face and the fact that they willingly volunteer to go into harms way when other do not, makes them heroes in my definition of freedom and democracy. They are not conscripts or wayward criminals eluding jail time, they are all volunteers of the highest caliber. So, please refrain from your insensitivity in this forum. Go open your own forum elsewhere and spew your own political devices amongst people who are less informed then this current group of simmers."


Mr. Blonde as a former solider I can tell you now that serving my country and fighting for my country was one of the proudest things I have ever done in my life. And for a man of 18 to enlist and know that he or she is going to be fighting for people they do not know is the definition of a hero.

And I would go back into battle today with those heroes with out a moments hesitation. However you are entitled to an opinion however I would recommend you walk a mile in those shoes before you do form that opinion.

Thank you all for the nice words regarding my piece. As I mentioned to Doug, it was not the easiest thing that’s ever leapt from my keyboard, but after arriving home that morning, I simply could not ignore what had just occurred during that long night.

All of you honor me with your words, especially those that have donned the uniform of a freedom loving military. I salute you, I am indebted to you, and I pledge to you that I will always treat those that have paid the ultimate price with the respect and reverence that they’ve earned.

To Mr. Blonde: as the son of a decorated combat helicopter pilot, I was raised to respect your opinion regardless of my alignment with it. I attempted to raise my son in the same manner, and I feel certain that his Degree in History, coupled with his understanding of the words “honor” and “duty” would elicit a response not unlike the following statement. “Thank you for your opinion sir, but in my opinion FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY do not exist in spite of those in uniform, but because of them. Enjoy your freedom of speech…it comes with a rather large price tag.”

Again, thank you all for your kind words. I felt the tears again reading your responses.

Bill

Thanks for the reply Bball,

I just think it's a shame that these systems that are supposed to make the world a better really don't improve it much at all in some respects and that, in 2012 the same things are happening that happened in 1012. (young blokes killing each other at the behest of old blokes) and so, in spite of the democracy and freedom we enjoy we are still living in the dark ages in some respects.

I'm ex RAAF myself.

I don't want to turn this thread into a debate, it should be about your article and not my opinion so I'll leave it at that. I'll be more than happy to respond to any rebuttals via PM for the other members here.

Jimmy Blonde,

After some reflection, I feel I came off a bit harsh and lost some of my professional demeanor in an open forum, for that my apologies. As I am certain you will see, contained within the many replies, there are more than just a few actively serving or veterans amongst our ranks here. Regardless of the flag they served under, all are fiercely proud and patriotic of their duties performed and more so if they have lost loved ones, including service members they serve next to, in the process. Duty, honor and sacrifice mean many things to each individual, but it was a Service member that fought and/or gave their life, so you can openly chat and express yourself openly in forums like this. I have no doubt that your country has many heroes as well, some looking for acknowledgement, many not seeking acknowledgement but rather performing their duty and willing to give their all so you can hopefully have a better life.