03/31/2018
Gabriel Gonzalez shared this on Tuesday:
Feeling humbled. Flight was delayed today. An announcement came over the intercom that the inbound flight was delayed as it was carrying precious cargo...a fallen soldier. The gate went silent. They also announced it would be an additional delay once the plane reached the gate. The next announcement was that the plane was arriving. Everyone at the gate stood in silence. You could hear a pin drop. It was an overwhelming feeling to watch everyone stand to watch the plane pull up to the gate. No one was on their phone, having side conversations or distracted. Every person was respectfully waiting. They stood the entire time.
As the Alaska Airlines crew ceremoniously removed the soldier from the plane all I could think about was the family and soldiers that lost a loved one.
Race, religion, political affiliation...none of that mattered. This person gave their life for our country. A country that is divided in so many ways yet soldiers are defending our freedom to live in the country we create. To watch the people at the gate be so respectful was heartening. There are so many good people in our world. People we encounter every day that are committed to bringing good to the world. Sometimes that gets lost in the narrative. I’m sure because the soldier’s lives are touched by these good people is the real reason why they serve. They see the good and want to preserve that for all of us.
To all the strangers at the gate...Thank You for your respect and kindness in honoring the fallen soldier.
To Alaska Air...Thank You for honoring the fallen soldier. It was humbling to witness the care you took through what I am sure is an emotional process for everyone.
To the soldiers that accompanied the fallen soldier...Thank You for your service and reminding us that we will not be left alone on our journeys.
To the fallen soldier...Thank You for your service. May we honor you by continuing to believe and work towards the good for all.
