Heroes to remember …from yesterday and today

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to  Virginia for a couple of days to visit with my American Majority colleagues and friends from across the country.  The trip began with a 4:00am buzz in my ear from my iPhone and shortly thereafter, the lightening cracked and thundered, and I knew I was in for one bumpy connecting flight to Atlanta. 
 
Pouring rain and soaking wet, I made it to our small little airport in Little Rock just in time to board my tiny little airplane.  Now, I am vertically challenged, so when I say tiny, I mean TINY!  Eventually, I make it to my seat where I am trying to decide if I should nap for the short flight or try and finish up my latest novel.  While I am trying to get comfortable, a tall young man makes his way down the narrow aisle, stooped over so he won’t hit his head and carrying a young toddler.  He smiles quickly at me and places the cherubic little boy with sleepy eyes in the seat next to mine, and starts back to the front of the plane. He immediately makes it back to the seat where he left his son (I correctly presume at the time) with a backpack (aka “manly” diaper bag) and a sippy cup.  Somehow, the young dad folded himself into the small seat and shifted his tow-headed baby boy on his lap.  We exchange pleasantries until the plane takes off.
 
Later during the flight, we talked about where we live and what we do for a living.  He mentioned that he and his wife are both in the Air Force and have lived in Arkansas for about 3 years now. Without a thought, I thank him for his service and his response amazed me! “Thank you, it is my pleasure.”  WOW! I am so humbled by our servicemen and women, I often feel like they are celebrities when I see them in their uniforms, I am embarrassed to say anything to them.  He told me of his 2 tours in Afghanistan and how he expects to return in December.  It was so enlightening to hear him talk of IED’s and gunfire outside the base and sirens going off at night….yet not once did he complain.  He truly is a hero, as is his wife, and I know his young son will grow up to be so very proud of his heroic parents.
 
Towards the end of our flight, the gentleman in front of us joined our conversation.  I asked him where he was heading and his story amazed us both.  He was on his way to Washington DC to attend the burial of his uncle at Arlington National Cemetery.  Turns out, his uncle was a U.S. Army Air Forces crew member of a plane that went down during World War II, being MIA for the last fifty-eight years.  On May 23rd, 1944, the C-47A Skytrain departed Dinian, India for a mission to resupply the Allied forces.  Evidently, their mission was completed, however the plane never returned to India and after a search, no remains were ever found and the crew of 7 airmen was listed as missing in action.  Nevertheless in 2003, the crash site was found in Burma and was excavated by a joint POW-MIA Accounting Command team.  Remains were found along with dog tags and other equipment from the tragic scene.  According to our fellow passenger, his uncle’s remains were identified by testing DNA samples taken from one of his cousins, and only the week before the burial, was the family notified that their long lost hero was finally home. 
To say these 2 men touched my heart that morning is an understatement.  I can’t get their stories out of my head and strive everyday to always count my blessings that there are those with the courage and conviction to protect us all.  So, take a moment, and thank those who serve our country and in the words of President Lincoln “gave their last full measure.” 
I know I will. 
 
For more information on the Burmese crash site of 1944, read the following article.