Out of an airplane window

We picked Mike up from the airport today. He'd been in Denver for a couple of days. After he got in the car and said his hellos and passed out the kids their treats, he told me about the experience he just had. I won't tell it as well as he did, but I think it's worth repeating.

He got on the plane in Denver and just happened to notice a military man sitting in the front. He didn't think anything of it, just noticed him. Later, when the plane landed in SL, he looked out the window to see a cart being wheeled up to the plane. He thought to himself that it was a strange looking luggage cart and watched it for a minute. Then, he saw the soldier who had been sitting on the front row, down on the tarmac near the cart. It hit Mike then.

The soldier was escorting a fallen soldier home.

He sat and watched as people gathered on the ground, flight crews stood still and the soldier saluted. He watched as the fallen soldier was brought off the plane onto the cart. When Mike looked around the cabin, he realized that only he and 2 other men had seen what was happening and had stayed on the plane. As he caught the eye of another passenger, the man said, 'I'm waiting for him to get off the plane before I go.' Mike said, 'I am, too.'

I was in tears as he retold the story and was feeling sad that an announcement hadn't been made to the rest of the passengers about what precious cargo had been brought home today. I know that given the chance, all the passengers would have waited to get off the plane out of respect for this soldier who paid the ultimate price.

Just another reminder of how many things we have to be thankful for.