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Kathianne
08-08-2019, 07:43 PM
http://patterico.com/2019/08/08/52-years-after-saying-goodbye-a-son-brings-his-father-back-home/

:salute:



52 Years After Saying Goodbye, A Son Brings His Father Back Home
Filed under: General — Dana @ 4:22 pm




[guest post by Dana]


Jackson Proskow, who is Washington’s bureau chief for Global News, was at the airport in Dallas today, waiting to catch his flight back home to Washington D.C. from El Paso, after reporting on the mass shooting, when this happened:


When we arrived at our gate at Dallas’ Love Field, I noticed a few camera crews waiting. I didn’t think much of it. Perhaps they were waiting for a politician or newsmaker.


A few minutes later a gate agent from Southwest Airlines appeared and started handing out American flags.


Then came the announcement over the P.A. system. A gate agent, his voice cracking, told us about the very special arrival we were about to witness.


Our inbound plane from Oakland was carrying the remains of an American airman, Col. Roy Knight Jr., who was shot down in combat during the Vietnam war in 1967.


The agent took a long pause, as he seemed to collect his words.


“Col. Knight ejected from his aircraft, but no parachute was seen deploying,” he explained. “A search was undertaken but could not find him.”


The agent again, took a long pause, before explaining that recently, his remains were discovered and identified and returned to the United States.


“Today, Col. Knight is coming home to Dallas,” said the agent, growing more emotional as continued explaining what we were about to witness.


And, as if your heart isn’t already breaking, there’s this:


At that point, we were told that before deploying, Col. Knight had said farewell to his family at this very airport. He waved goodbye to his five-year-old son. It would be the last time he would see any of them.


By this point in the story, the terminal had fallen silent.


T.S.A. agents stood solemnly in a line near the gate. The gate agent held the microphone in his hands, taking a long pause and a deep breath. He struggled to say what came next: “Today the pilot of the plane bringing Col. Knight home, is his son.”


Proskow said that when flag-draped casket was unloaded from the cargo hold, Dallas Love Field “fell absolutely silent.”


52 years after he said goodbye to his father, Bryan Knight brought him home.


You can read Col. Knight’s story here.


Every single moment we spend with our loved ones matters. Deeply.


Make sure you go the linked article or to Proskow’s Twitter feed to view photos and video from this incredible moment.


(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)


–Dana

Gunny
08-08-2019, 09:35 PM
Nice find :)

SassyLady
08-09-2019, 02:49 AM
I cried when I read first time. My ex husband was an escort and CAO for one of his soldiers. One of my good friends escorted remains twice of same soldier (DNA finally located rest of body after funeral had already happened. I can't imagine the honor of being able to escort his dad.

Attended 4 funerals during 2003-2004. The taps portion is sad but the gunshots always, always make me cry. Salute


... comes from traditional battle ceasefires where each side would clear the dead. The firing of three volleys indicated the dead were cleared and properly cared for.

Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
08-09-2019, 06:08 AM
http://patterico.com/2019/08/08/52-years-after-saying-goodbye-a-son-brings-his-father-back-home/

:salute:

In 1972, Late summer, I was hitchhiking to Holland Michigan, stopped at a mall in Benton Harbor seems like on an early Saturday morn, , and there was a very beautiful girl(a drop dead gorgeous beauty, college girl) at a stand outside of a store that was selling the Vietnam War MIA/POW bracelets, I bought one of a pilot that was shot down- listed as MIA.
(HAHA, had no luck with te beautiful girl as she said she had a boyfriend and was engaged to be married.)
The name on the bracelet was was Eugene Vescuvius-- something similar to that, as the exact spelling eludes me. Either was ranked as a LT. or Captain, if memory serves me well on that. I kept that item until around 76/77 when it went missing. I guess somebody visiting me liked it and decided to do a 5 finger discount on it .
Very likely a girlfriend. As I was a divorced man during early 76- til Thanksgiving day in 1981....
I have always wondered if the guy survived and was a POW and how his story turned out.

Great post-- truly affected me, as two of my very, very good friends, both were Vietnam combat Veterans.
One is now deceased and the other is married to my wife's cousin now.--Tyr

CSM
08-09-2019, 06:14 AM
Taps gets me every time.

Elessar
08-10-2019, 06:39 AM
A wonderful story!:salute: