When someone volunteers to join a branch of the military, no matter what role they end up in, they know they are putting their life on the line to keep the rest of us back home safe and sound.
That's especially true in tense times of war when families fear the worst as their loved ones make their way thousands of miles overseas to fight. Every day those brave servicemen and women are gone is a day filled with hope that their soldier returns in one piece — and dread that they won't.
Unfortunately, there are several who must always hear that heartbreaking news that their relative has been lost to the battle. The fact that they are often young only makes it more tragic, but it's even worse when families are left without a body to bury.
It can be decades before those souls are truly laid to rest, as many passengers on a recent flight learned firsthand.
The somber ceremony of laying a soldier down for their final rest is always emotional and done with the utmost respect.
Their ceremonies include several important traditions which not only honor the fallen brother or sister in arms, but help those mourning the loss know their loved one was not taken from them in vain.
For families with just a note of condolence and a promise to keep looking for their missing soldier, however, it can be a lifetime of sadly waiting for the day they can find true closure.
It's certainly not something the individuals packed into a recent Delta flight from Atlanta, GA, to Detroit, MI, ever thought they would experience while making their journey across the country.
But that's exactly what they witnessed as the pilot came over the loudspeaker to announce the special passenger who had been riding along with them.
Ruth Malhotra was able to capture a photo of the heartwarming moment Corporal Curtis J. Wells finally returned to his home to be buried, sharing the snap on Facebook and saying:
"Today I saw something out the airplane window I'll never forget. As our packed Delta flight from Atlanta on a hectic morning after Labor Day prepared to touch down in Detroit, the captain announced that there was something special about this flight.
"'We have the honor of bringing a fallen soldier home,' he said, and explained that an Honor Guard ceremony would commence as soon as we landed."
According to his military records, Cpl. Wells was only 19 years old when he was reported missing in action on November 27, 1950, while fighting in North Korea. He was returned to his surviving family in Harbor Beach, MI, where he was finally given a funeral on September 10, 2016.
While most passengers are clamoring to get off the plane at the end of their flight, Malhotra describes a much different scene, saying:
"Immediately all the chatter stopped and everyone on board was virtually silent for the remainder of the flight. When the plane touched down, a somber applause erupted from passengers. As the flag-draped casket was pulled from the aircraft and flags were displayed behind the military escort, passengers on board strained to look out the airplane windows on the right. The ceremony on the tarmac continued for several minutes, but it felt like time stood still."
I doubt anyone on that flight will ever forget the name of Cpl. Curtis J. Wells.
Be sure to SHARE his memory and the passengers' amazing sign of respect with your loved ones!
