What beer are you drinking now? #2409

A number of folks have talked about Memorial Day. I received this earlier and ask that as you enjoy your beer to say thanks to those who gave all.

Subject: AN AIRLINE CAPTAIN'S REPORT
for Memorial Day

The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it.....
The American flag flies from the last breath of each military member who
has died serving it."
You will not regret reading this one. I Promise
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an
H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for Human Remains.)
"Are they military?" I asked.
'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I've already assigned him a seat'.
'Would you please tell him to come to the Flight Deck.
You can board him early," I said...
A short while later a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was
the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked
him about his soldier.
The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and
still with us. 'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.
I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him
that he had the toughest job in the military, and that I appreciated the work that
he does for the families of our fallen soldiers.
The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the Flight
Deck to find his seat.
We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight, I received a call from
the lead flight attendant in the cabin.
'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is also on board',
she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and
2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home.
The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that
the soldier was in before we left.
We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait
four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia The father of the soldier
told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo
compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the
family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that
could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival.
The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being
taken off the airplane.
I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me
if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get
back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of
e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the
dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.
I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the
family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher.
We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family.
I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:
'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on
this now, and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated
escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the
ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary
van for the family.
The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal,
where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family
only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the
ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home.
Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our
condolences on to the family. Thanks'.
I sent a message back, telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed
out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the
father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have
no idea how much this will mean to them.'
Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After
landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is
huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area
with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit.
When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were
told that all traffic was being held for us.
'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told.
It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that
once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand
up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane.
As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller,
we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the
passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public
address button and said: 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking:
I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is
Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life.
Private XXXXXX s under your feet in the cargo hold.
Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers
to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our
shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see.
I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed
in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started
to clap his hands. Moments later, more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud,
and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down
the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to
finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement
I had made They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and
over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that
millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety
in these United States of AMERICA.
Foot note:
I know everyone who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.
Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it! Please send this on after a
short prayer for our service men and women.
They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and
respect.
Prayer Request:
When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world... There is nothing attached.
Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.
GOD BLESS YOU!!!
Thank you all who have served, or are serving.
We Will not forget !!!!
Remember this, and every Memorial Day

 

Not quite pool time yet....

 

This is banging! Perfect to end the evening with.

 

A cold classic in the northwoods

High skies, 70° air temp, 60° water temp.

Fish are nowhere to be found.

 

I should be outside but the couch is comfy watching the Cubs...

 

Very interesting

 

Hoppin' Frog Plum Tuckered-out Double Double Porter, 16.8% ABV. Pours dark black, with a slight ring of tan bubbles. Nose is sweet dark fruit and chocolate, taste follows with raisin, plum, quite sweet with no bitterness. Several other flavors popping as it warms, quite complex. Not much hint of the alcohol, so the drinkability and 16.8% ABV could sneak up on you. Decent mouthfeel, even if slightly under-carbonated. Overall outstanding.

4.45/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

 

Limited selection at the pool. Tomorrow I bring my own beer.

 

Pool beer

 

Washing down some lamb kebabs ...



Be safe out there!

Cheers!

 

Carolina Baurenhaus June Princess


A native fermented sour rye ale brewed with North Carolina grown pilsner and heirloom rye malts. This hazy gold beer was fermented in North Carolina Tempranillo wine barrels and aged on apricots and locally harvested June Princess nectarines from Clemson University’s Musser Experimental Fruit Research Farm.
7.2% ABV, the apricot is strong with this one
We live in a world where Bart Star is gone and The Killer lives on

 

Really delightful DIPA. Clean as all hell, tons of lemon drop dank. I could bathe in this. This is Hop candy. This brewery deserves all the accolades it gets. Took us 45 damn minutes to get out of that parking lot. Another hour and a half home. Jeez.

 

Beer #5.

 

Yard and garage projects today, with Mo Haze Ic as my current thirst quencher..





Cheers BAs!

 

June is a nut-deal for me with graduations, dance recitals, and pending arrival of two new grandkids between now and Independence Day. Would love to make it up nort over by use guys at some point this Summer. Much respect for you with the family camping trip, I miss those days a lot. And I really enjoyed Tiki Torch. @scream, tell your kid to put that stuff in cans! See you in about a week and a half at Shank Hall!
Songs for da bote of you. And go Bucks 2020!?

 

Goombays correct. No local oysters until September. At least there,

Lost Colony blonde ale and a yuengling

 

Pizza time.