Remembering Those Who Served and Gave Their Life for Freedom and Liberty
- Shubert for Ohio
- May 25
- 2 min read
AKRON -- Today, we pause to remember and honor the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have served to protect and defend our country, as well as coming to the defense of millions across the globe to fight tyranny.
“All gave some, some gave all.” Credit is given to Howard William Osterkamp, a Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, for coining that phrase. Since the earliest days of the American Revolutionary War, more than 1.3 million American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines have laid down their lives in combat and wartime service.
Many young people today do not realize how blessed they are to live in a land of freedom because of the brave sacrifices that came before them. Memorial Day for many families is not about parades and barbecues, but a day of sadness, as they remember the loss of their loved one who came home in a flag-draped coffin.
When a fallen service member makes that final trip home, it is called an “Angel Flight.” Craig Shubert and his late wife, Sherri, were on such a flight in 2019.
“As we prepared to leave Washington Dulles International Airport, the United Airlines captain announced, ‘Tonight, we are taking home one of America’s finest.’ At first, the passengers erupted in applause for the airman they had seen sitting in his dress blue uniform. The captain went on to explain that the airman was accompanying his friend who had died in a tragic accident in the Middle East. Everyone went silent and the cabin went dark.
“Our Angel Flight was given priority clearance for takeoff and landing. As our plane pulled into Terminal C at Cleveland Hopkins, we were met by a Military Honor Guard, Cleveland Police and Firefighters, a hearse, and the deceased airman’s grieving widow. Passengers were asked to remain on board so the airman in his dress blues could exit first.
“Passengers quietly filed off the plane, but stood at the terminal windows to watch as the flag-draped coffin was removed from the aircraft and carried to the hearse by the honor guard. There was not a dry eye to be found. The sight and sounds were moving. May the young man’s soul rest eternal and may God grant his wife and family peace.”
Here is a tribute to the fallen and the pilots who fly the planes known as the Angel Flight:
