Date Posted:15:02:09 06/26/07 Tue Author:J.C. Shannon Subject: THE LAST FLIGHT HOME
From: Hapa1234@aol.com
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 03:10:12 EDT
Subject: Fwd: The Last Flight Home to the USA
To: bobby_n_harmon@yahoo.com
Nuff said......? Keep on truckin' CB...... Fine job your doing on this end!!!!!!!
We've been harassed or "intimidated" by the numerous local huis on the Big Island from the Realtors; the Veterans Administration, HELCO {Constance Lau group}, or the various Government agencies linked to the Planning Dept, the Wastewater Public Utilities; the DLNR, the DCCA, the Legislature hui members {Hee}, or the UH faculty clowns {Rocky, Jervis, Waihee} with links to the Hawaiian Affairs Dept {Trask sisters} and the William Richardson Law School {Van Dyke, et al}.
The Governor's Liason, Bob Awana....the Karl Rove in Hawaii for the Governor, in collusion with the Akaka Bill advocates are pulling the strings in the background. They also, incompetently, network against our close friends....but by using other lower rank and file hui members.....namely ohana's family members or younger hoodlums and unanswered phone calls.......
They've denied my use for medical assistance on the Big Island for my eye surgery which the VA wants me to fly to Honolulu's Tripler Hospital {whom we don't trust}; my Title Insurance claims; and the Attorney General's Office dragging their feet with the DLNR "investigations".
I haven't been allowed to work for almost 5 years after getting the run around from the legal departments with UPS, Shell Vacation Marketing, and Lowes, who are all regulated by the State Office of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. With no Lawyer legal representation allowed, the IRS has been trying to "intimidate" us by saying we are hiding in the South Pacific but Hawaii is still a State in the Union? Are these guys good or what?
Take care CB and Keep the DOJ on its heels until Gonzales departs back to Texas.
Mahalo,
jc and 87 year old mom
(Thought you may like this e mail from another Veteran friend.)
I was at curbside at 24th and M, Washington DC . 16 Degrees with a light breeze. Going home after my second week of freezing temps to my warm home in SoCalif.
>0450
engaged the self-serve ticker machine and it delivers my ticket, baggage tag and boarding pass. Hmmm, that Marine over there is all dressed up in his dress blues a bit early this morning...
Pass Security and to my gate for a decaf coffee and 5 hours sleep. A quick check of the flight status monitor and UA Flt 211 is on time. there's that same Marine.
The speaker system announces "Attention in the boarding area, we'll begin boarding in 10 minutes.
The Marine Captain has now been joined by five others. he's an official escort.
On board, 0600:
"Good morning folks, this is the Captain. This morning we've been attending to some additional duties, and I apologize for being 10 minutes late for push back, but we'll be early into LAX. This morning it is my sad pleasure to announce that 1st LT Jared Landaker, USMC will be flying with us to his Big Bear home in Southern California. Jared lost his life over the skies of Iraq earlier this month, and today we have the honor of returning him home along with his mother, father and brother.
Please join me in making the journey comfortable for the Landaker family and their uniformed escort."
4 hours and 35 minutes later over Big Bear MT, the AB320 makes a left roll, a steep bank and then one to the right-Nice touch.
On roll out, I notice red lights, emergency vehicles approaching. We're being escorted directly to our gate, no waiting, not even a pause. Out the left window, a dozen Marines in full dress blues.
When the family departed the aircraft everyone sat silent, then I heard a lady whisper ,"God Bless you and your family." The Captain read a prepared note from Mrs. Landaker to the effect, "Thank you all for your patience and heartfelt concern for us and our son. We sincerely appreciate the sentiment. It's good to have Jared home."
After departing the a/c I found myself along with 30 others from our flight looking out the lobby window back at the plane. We stood there silently, and watched as Jared was taken by his honor guard to an awaiting hearse. Then the motorcade slowly made it's way off the ramp.
I realized I had finally seen the silent majority. It is deep within us all. Black, Brown, White, Yellow, Red, Purple, we're all children, parents, brothers, sisters, etc - we are an American family.
Official Report : February 7, 2007, Anbar Province, Iraq .. 1st LT Jared Landaker United States Marine Corps, from Big Bear California, gave his life in service to his country. Fatally wounded when his CH-46 helicopter was shot down by enemy fire. Jared and his crew all perished. His life was the ultimate sacrifice of a grateful military family and nation.
His death occurred at the same time as Anna Nicole Smith , a drug using person with a 7th grade education who dominated our news for weeks while Jared became a number on CNN. And unfortunately, Jared's death underscores a fact that we are a military at war, not a nation at war. It has been said that Marines are at war. America is at the mall.
1st LT Landaker, a man I came to know in the sky's over America on 17 February 2007, from me to you, aviator to aviator, I am unbelievably humbled. It was my high honor to share your last flight.
THE LAST FLIGHT HOME