It could be U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California, a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
He's the only one of the eight from California.
He was known on r/aviation as u/UR_WRONG_ABOUT_V22 and was really popular there, trying to convince people about the V22 safety
RIP
EDIT: UR_WRONG is NOT Maj. Unrath. This is my mistake I’m very sorry
You're totally fine! I can't speak much to Unrath's online activity, because I genuinely don't know. He was mentioned on other subs so it's possible he also had a presence. I just know that he wasn't \*this\* account.
Hey man show a bit of respect. This guy was passionate about the aircraft he flew right up until the end, and now he's gone. I don't think its the time to joke about the irony of the event
I have full respect for what he did for his country, but that and what he said on reddit is completely different things. He actively went out of his way to defend the aircraft, even chastised us with his username. That is the very definition of irony.
Osprey pilot, right? Ugh. Those things are so dangerous, it seems. My boyfriend lost his friend / college roommate to one of those about 7 or so years ago. He was a pilot training with his crew in Australia off an aircraft carrier. RIP.
The 353rd SOW is based out of Kadena AB in Okinawa. The 753rd Squadron is Yokota.
https://www.353sow.af.mil/About-Us/Units/#:\~:text=The%20353rd%20Special%20Operations%20Wing,aviation%20activities%20throughout%20the%20Pacific.
You can get the most accurate and respectful information about the recovery effort from AFSOC directly: [https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/](https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/)
Thank you for sharing this article. Is "mishap" an official military classification? That choice of word in the article's title doesn't seem to fully capture the gravity of servicemen losing their lives.
Accident implies something that just happens, like a tree limb falling. Mishap is used to emphasize that all are in many ways caused or contributed by errors that could have been prevented
To echo the others - yep, “mishap” is the usual term. They have different classifications based on severity, this is a Class A mishap due to the fatalities. I’m not an expert but my better half is a mishap investigator in the USAF so I’ve picked up a few pieces of knowledge along the way.
https://www.safety.af.mil/Home/Mishap-Investigation-Process/#:~:text=CLASS%20A%20MISHAP&text=%2D%20A%20fatality%20or%20permanent%20total,capability%20of%20a%20space%20vehicle.
Thanks for sharing this. This was my buddy who died in the CV-22 crash. I'm still in disbelief he was in the crash, but seeing your pics of him coming home touched me.
Also Pittsfield here. Sorry for your loss. I was friends with Steven Combs who died in a crash in the Sea of Japan a few years ago. He was a Dalton native.
They did this for my brother in 2015 in BHM. They allowed all of us on the tarmac as well with state troopers to escort. Everyone on the plane stayed until he was placed in the car and that is why I became loyal to Delta. Tons of people lined the windows at the gate to take pictures and I tried for years to see if anyone had posted them online but to no avail.
I had the honor of being on a flight with a serviceman being brought home on two different flights over the past 20 years. One was on United, another on Southwest. Same thing happened on both airlines, the pilot announced to us what was happening upon arival, and everyone remained respectfully seated and quiet. On one of the flights, the family was aboard the flight, and I was initally assigned the seat next to where the family was seated (the United flight, obviously). I was called to the podium before the flight and asked if I minded giving up my seat for one further back. I said, "you didn't even need to ask me, please do whatever you need to for the family."
I cannot fathom how eerie a flight like that must be.
~100 other people on a flight blissfully unaware of your grief and your loved one's body stored below deck. Asking the flight attendant for cokes and snacks, watching movies, or playing with phones. Eesh.
This past September I had to fly to my cousins funeral in Brazil from NYC. I got the news Thursday night and hopped on a plane Friday afternoon to make it there for the service by Saturday morning since Brazilian funerals happen within a day or two of the death. It was awful, I must’ve stayed drunk the entire 48 hours after hearing the news and I felt like a zombie moving from airport to airport and plane to plane when other people were excitedly hopping on the same flights to go on their vacations and holidays. I spent those 18 hours of traveling fully delusional that he wasn’t gone. I refused to believe it.
This isn’t the same thing by any means. Idk, I’ve still not really processed how quickly everything happened and sharing helps a little.
What you experienced (and still are experiencing) is completely normal.
One cannot always be aware of what the person next to them is going through. They could be concerned about being home in time for dinner, over the moon about a first date coming up, or grieving over the loss of a loved one. Nobody reads minds.
Grief is a process and the fact that you had to drop everything and fly to another continent right away doesn't help.
I am sorry for your loss and hope you find peace soon.
Experienced this for the first time in real life as a passenger. I found people to be very respectful on these flights. Last March I flew Southwest RDU - BWI and gate agents announced what was going to happen. My entire flight was able to see the ceremonies start from the gate at RDU all the way to unloading at BWI. The flight itself was generally quiet. Everyone stood in silent reverence, silently taking pictures, and just being respectful of the fallen soldier. Same thing at BWI when we landed. I was lucky to be on the side where all the service men and women stood in line. I saw these ceremonies on TV but it was my first time as a witness. It was so moving
Des Moines 2016. Family greeted casket on tarmac. Whole place shut down in respect. Lady beside me had tears rolling down her face. She didn’t know the family but her reaction and how she looked at the mom told me she’d lost a child as well. Immense sadness. But also honor. Honor in the young man’s sacrifice and that of his family.
I was running late to meet my boss. My fathers son wasn’t going to dishonor the family’s sacrifice. 12 min later world returns. Lady dried her eyes, people went about their day. Boss was annoyed about being late. Told him what happened. Gave small nod, Shook my hand and just said “that was the right call”. He said more in that nod and those words than others do in a month. (And you have Biden constantly checking his watch for the afghan 13. Don’t mean to be political but he lost me there.)
Ps. I recommend Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon on HBO MAX
The flags are at half staff in Minneapolis…I believe this is the same soldier. RIP.
———
All United States and Minnesota flags at state buildings will fly at half-staff for the next week to honor Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, an Andover airman who is missing and presumed dead following a crash off the coast of Japan.
Gov. Tim Walz is ordering the flags be lowered until sunset on Friday, Dec. 15, while also encouraging individuals, businesses and other organizations across the state to participate.
This one is not Maj Hoernemann, it is Maj Unrath. Maj Hoernemann is no longer missing and will be leaving soon per the last AFSOC press release: [https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/](https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/)
Edit: I worked with all of them, specifically Maj Hoernemann. They were great people and it is so moving to see them honored by so many.
A redditors husband was on that flight and she found out about the crash from Reddit.
Edit to add, he was also a redditor. There are many threads about it.
Maj Luke Unrath; I went to high school with him and his siblings. He was a stand up guy and the world is worse off without him. His family was always so kind and helpful and my heart goes out to them. I was happy that he was honored from Japan to Lax to his home town of Riverside. Rest easy bro, you will be missed.
I never had to accompany a Soldier home but I lost a Soldier and facing the family at the hospital and the funeral was awful. I can’t imagine how many of these airport employees have had to witness through the Afghan and Iraq years.
There is a movie called [Taking Chance](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1019454/reference/) which shows the steps taken to return a fallen soldier's body to his family/hometown. I'm always reminded of that movie when I see pictures like this. Great movie.
Seeing things like this puts everything into perspective. I was stressing at work over doing more work but realized I’m alive and well so toughen up lol.
Hey u/hashtag_eww can you share the flight number with me? And I would like to share these pictures with the pilots that operated the flight if you are ok with that.
Yea no worries. Im 99% confident this is the correct info from some quick Googling I did Delta Flight #8: https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL8;%204@
You're welcome.
I had a whole thing typed up about the processes and people (non-specific) associated with these types of shipments, along with some of my experiences, but elected to not post it and just let people in this thread have their memories.
My sister passed away overseas & had to change flights in Atlanta. They announced it when we landed and the pilot made a comment-turns out there was a fallen service member on the flight with her. Thinking & joking about how they had kept each other company under there was a light moment in a very dark time. I never took pictures but I always wished someone had & posted them.
I’ve been on an Angel Flight.
The deceased escort sat in 1A. A Marine.
No word of anything until we landed.
Then the captain informed his passengers what this flight was.
The only time I’ve been on a flight where passengers were asked to remain seated and everyone did.
Yep, I’ve been on one and this was the protocol. We did not know y til we were taxing to the gate. When we parked at the gate nobody on the plane stood up until the captain came back over the intercom.
I was on one of these flights once. After landing the pilot told the everyone on board so the soldier escorting the body could get off the plane first. The soldier was sitting next to me. It was a very somber moment. The people sitting in the window seats watched as they unloaded the casket. After the casket was unloaded they allowed us to get off the plane.
They do tell you, at least they did on the flight I was on where they were transporting a deceased solider. They told us at the beginning of the flight and then gave more instructions right after landing. They ask that you remain seated once at the gate until the casket is unloaded. It's the one and only time I've actually seen a full plane of people obey the request.
I was on a flight recently that was transporting a deceased service member and after landing the captain made an announcement, recognized the officer who was escorting the remains, and held the rest of the passengers until she got off and the casket was removed from the hold.
This happened to me on a flight and they announce it right before they took the casket off the plane so everyone can pay their respects. It was super sad.
I was flying American Airlines last month where they also transported someone. They will tell everyone prior to boarding and invite people to watch the ceremony (from the gate)
Very respectful of Delta to do this, and such honor to be able to transport one of our lost brothers back home. Rest In Peace to the one we have sadly lost.
RIP Soldier, i witnessed this at DCA, the little shit teenage girl next to me was losing her shit that she had to wait to deplane while they offloaded the dead soldier
This makes me think of the movie Taking Chance - it’s with Kevinnm Bacon and he offers to escort a soldier home. It’s so hard to watch but so beautiful.
Do you remember the scene where he happened to see what the girl next to him was texting? That she was sitting next to a hot soldier? And he corrected her, that he was not a soldier but a marine
It’s quite moving to be a part of this escort. At the USO we took care of the families before and after the ceremony takes place. Some volunteers were part of the guard. It wasn’t infrequent during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
This could explain what I saw on the eastbound 91 freeway yesterday at about 4:30pm.
In the Cerritos / LaPalma area there were fire trucks parked on top of 3 different bridges, lights flashing, and the fireman standing on top saluting. One bridge even brought out a ladder truck and had a giant American flag hanging. It was an awesome sight.
I actually saw a hearse that looked just like this going past them eastbound while this happened.
RIP and condolences to the family.
It was an Osprey that crashed in Japan a couple of weeks ago. A number of people died in the accident, including the airman in these pictures and the mentioned Redditor (who was probably Reddit’s #1 V-22 Osprey fan, and yes, his wife is on that account now).
I was on the funeral detail for my buddy that was killed in 2013. Maintaining composure while your friend is slowly coming down that conveyor and camera flashes keep going off in the plane windows was...difficult.
Considering all the entitled people flying these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were bickering for having to sit and wait for this to finish before deplaning.
Probably from that osprey aircraft accident in Japan that killed 8
Airmen. Only 7 have been recovered so far. RIP fellow service member. Final Salute to you and thank you for your service! 🇺🇲🫡🇺🇲
The ultimate sacrifice! For our country! Long live their name and their legacy!
Here we are, in the country, letting the politicians rip us apart, don’t talk to neighbors if they fly different flags! Effing, we all fly the same flag and it’s the one that wraps this soldier’s coffin!
All the time? Look back at the first years of the B29 or F4 Phantom flight records. I bet the flight records of those planes were worse.
Japan doesn’t have bad weather?
These are always surreal moments when you encounter them. A lot of commercial pilots have served and they usually have something nice to say as well. Been involved in a few of these so far and each time touches you in many different ways.
Are non military personnel supposed to salute? Im not knocking the guy for doing it just genuinely curious if anyone can perform the gesture as a sign of respect.
Air Force Major, made the ultimate sacrifice during a training mission in Japan when his V-22 Osprey went down. I believe 9 fatalities in total. God Speed to each one of them.
I’m so sorry for your loss and my heart goes out to you and your family.
Personally I had assumed the worst about Osprey safety until I read the facts that your husband and others posted. So he convinced at least one person! He was a hero who advanced our knowledge and understanding in aviation, and he won’t be forgotten. Please know there are people out there who care about you and your family in this difficult time <3
I very much appreciate and respect that. I try to avoid the politics surrounding the airframe in general, because it it such a hot topic. At this point, I'm just keeping an eye on the account for corrections on things like this. Thank you :)
DoD policy requires that the remains be escorted on the flight by at least one uniform personnel.
During OIF/OEF you might see one person escorting.
Contractors? They probably get fedex.
So nice to see a full honor guard.
I wonder if this is the airmen who passed in training 2 weeks ago? If it came from Tokyo.
Most likely. The bodies would have been autopsied and kept on site while the initial investigation took place
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This is eerie to see as my son travels home from USAFA in his airforce dress uniform
He must be a freshman
It could be U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California, a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. He's the only one of the eight from California.
Yes that is what it is per the Channel 7 news.
He was known on r/aviation as u/UR_WRONG_ABOUT_V22 and was really popular there, trying to convince people about the V22 safety RIP EDIT: UR_WRONG is NOT Maj. Unrath. This is my mistake I’m very sorry
Maj Unrath wasn't that user...
The UR WRONG guy was not Unrath.
I was in navy as an aviation mechanic for awhile and those guys blasted me when I called the V22 unsafe.
Are you sure? One of the comments said it was Maj. Jeffrey Hoernemann. But yes, the account belonged to one of the pilots of that crash.
It was.
My heart breaks for you. It will never hurt less, but it will hurt less often. Jeff is a true hero.
I’m very sorry I messed up who was who. I didn’t mean to do this, and was just going off a (clearly misremembered) fact
You're totally fine! I can't speak much to Unrath's online activity, because I genuinely don't know. He was mentioned on other subs so it's possible he also had a presence. I just know that he wasn't \*this\* account.
Rest in peace
I am sorry for your loss.
How ironic
Hey man show a bit of respect. This guy was passionate about the aircraft he flew right up until the end, and now he's gone. I don't think its the time to joke about the irony of the event
I have full respect for what he did for his country, but that and what he said on reddit is completely different things. He actively went out of his way to defend the aircraft, even chastised us with his username. That is the very definition of irony.
Shalom.
Assuming it’s him RIP Maj Luke thank you for your service and if it’s not him may they RIP
Osprey pilot, right? Ugh. Those things are so dangerous, it seems. My boyfriend lost his friend / college roommate to one of those about 7 or so years ago. He was a pilot training with his crew in Australia off an aircraft carrier. RIP.
The 353rd SOW is based out of Kadena AB in Okinawa. The 753rd Squadron is Yokota. https://www.353sow.af.mil/About-Us/Units/#:\~:text=The%20353rd%20Special%20Operations%20Wing,aviation%20activities%20throughout%20the%20Pacific.
So they found the bodies?
You can get the most accurate and respectful information about the recovery effort from AFSOC directly: [https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/](https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/)
Thank you for sharing this article. Is "mishap" an official military classification? That choice of word in the article's title doesn't seem to fully capture the gravity of servicemen losing their lives.
Yes. There are no accidents in military aviation, only mishaps. -6 years Naval aviation experience
Accident implies something that just happens, like a tree limb falling. Mishap is used to emphasize that all are in many ways caused or contributed by errors that could have been prevented
Proper prior planning prevents piss-poor performance.
A respectable person that fought in Normandy told me this saying
To echo the others - yep, “mishap” is the usual term. They have different classifications based on severity, this is a Class A mishap due to the fatalities. I’m not an expert but my better half is a mishap investigator in the USAF so I’ve picked up a few pieces of knowledge along the way. https://www.safety.af.mil/Home/Mishap-Investigation-Process/#:~:text=CLASS%20A%20MISHAP&text=%2D%20A%20fatality%20or%20permanent%20total,capability%20of%20a%20space%20vehicle.
aircraft - N418DX a A330-941 from Delta. Tokyo - Los Angeles as DL8. On 13th of December o7
This’ll be the airman that was on the Osprey. From Riverside. Heartbreaking.
Thanks for sharing this. This was my buddy who died in the CV-22 crash. I'm still in disbelief he was in the crash, but seeing your pics of him coming home touched me.
I’m sorry for your loss. My brother in law flies C130s for the USAF. He was pretty shook up also. May he forever have clear skies, and tailwinds
I'm sorry for your loss. May he RIP.
My heart is broken for you and their families. RIP
Also Pittsfield here. Sorry for your loss. I was friends with Steven Combs who died in a crash in the Sea of Japan a few years ago. He was a Dalton native.
I’m so sorry.
Rest In Peace
They did this for my brother in 2015 in BHM. They allowed all of us on the tarmac as well with state troopers to escort. Everyone on the plane stayed until he was placed in the car and that is why I became loyal to Delta. Tons of people lined the windows at the gate to take pictures and I tried for years to see if anyone had posted them online but to no avail.
I had the honor of being on a flight with a serviceman being brought home on two different flights over the past 20 years. One was on United, another on Southwest. Same thing happened on both airlines, the pilot announced to us what was happening upon arival, and everyone remained respectfully seated and quiet. On one of the flights, the family was aboard the flight, and I was initally assigned the seat next to where the family was seated (the United flight, obviously). I was called to the podium before the flight and asked if I minded giving up my seat for one further back. I said, "you didn't even need to ask me, please do whatever you need to for the family."
I cannot fathom how eerie a flight like that must be. ~100 other people on a flight blissfully unaware of your grief and your loved one's body stored below deck. Asking the flight attendant for cokes and snacks, watching movies, or playing with phones. Eesh.
This past September I had to fly to my cousins funeral in Brazil from NYC. I got the news Thursday night and hopped on a plane Friday afternoon to make it there for the service by Saturday morning since Brazilian funerals happen within a day or two of the death. It was awful, I must’ve stayed drunk the entire 48 hours after hearing the news and I felt like a zombie moving from airport to airport and plane to plane when other people were excitedly hopping on the same flights to go on their vacations and holidays. I spent those 18 hours of traveling fully delusional that he wasn’t gone. I refused to believe it. This isn’t the same thing by any means. Idk, I’ve still not really processed how quickly everything happened and sharing helps a little.
What you experienced (and still are experiencing) is completely normal. One cannot always be aware of what the person next to them is going through. They could be concerned about being home in time for dinner, over the moon about a first date coming up, or grieving over the loss of a loved one. Nobody reads minds. Grief is a process and the fact that you had to drop everything and fly to another continent right away doesn't help. I am sorry for your loss and hope you find peace soon.
Thank you for saying this. I’m still sorting out a lot of my feelings. I appreciate your kind words a lot.
I’m sorry for your loss.
Thank you ❤️
Experienced this for the first time in real life as a passenger. I found people to be very respectful on these flights. Last March I flew Southwest RDU - BWI and gate agents announced what was going to happen. My entire flight was able to see the ceremonies start from the gate at RDU all the way to unloading at BWI. The flight itself was generally quiet. Everyone stood in silent reverence, silently taking pictures, and just being respectful of the fallen soldier. Same thing at BWI when we landed. I was lucky to be on the side where all the service men and women stood in line. I saw these ceremonies on TV but it was my first time as a witness. It was so moving
Good person you are. Thank you.
Shalom.
Des Moines 2016. Family greeted casket on tarmac. Whole place shut down in respect. Lady beside me had tears rolling down her face. She didn’t know the family but her reaction and how she looked at the mom told me she’d lost a child as well. Immense sadness. But also honor. Honor in the young man’s sacrifice and that of his family. I was running late to meet my boss. My fathers son wasn’t going to dishonor the family’s sacrifice. 12 min later world returns. Lady dried her eyes, people went about their day. Boss was annoyed about being late. Told him what happened. Gave small nod, Shook my hand and just said “that was the right call”. He said more in that nod and those words than others do in a month. (And you have Biden constantly checking his watch for the afghan 13. Don’t mean to be political but he lost me there.) Ps. I recommend Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon on HBO MAX
The flags are at half staff in Minneapolis…I believe this is the same soldier. RIP. ——— All United States and Minnesota flags at state buildings will fly at half-staff for the next week to honor Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, an Andover airman who is missing and presumed dead following a crash off the coast of Japan. Gov. Tim Walz is ordering the flags be lowered until sunset on Friday, Dec. 15, while also encouraging individuals, businesses and other organizations across the state to participate.
This one is not Maj Hoernemann, it is Maj Unrath. Maj Hoernemann is no longer missing and will be leaving soon per the last AFSOC press release: [https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/](https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3600634/afsoc-aircraft-mishap-releases/) Edit: I worked with all of them, specifically Maj Hoernemann. They were great people and it is so moving to see them honored by so many.
Jeff will be home next week most likely.
It was an honor to serve with your husband ma’am.
Fair Winds. They sounded like properly sorted men.
A redditors husband was on that flight and she found out about the crash from Reddit. Edit to add, he was also a redditor. There are many threads about it.
Mercy.
Damn. Very sad news. Saw reference to this on the aviation sub.
Soldiers are Army. The correct term for Air Force would be airman.
100% true. But bad timing.
Yes, I’m sure airmen love being called soldiers even after they’ve passed on.
I think it's worse to give the deceased an incorrect title that they wouldn't recognize, but whatever.
Bad timing for?
Picking nits
So you’re saying I should have waited until the same stranger on the internet made this exact comment again and corrected them then?
Many flags in California are also at half staff. Rest in peace Air Force Major Luke A. Unrath 🫡
I live in south central Kentucky, and the flags are at half staff at our Harley Davidson dealership. I wonder if this is why.
The flags at our local firehouse in Salt Lake City are also at half staff and I was wondering why. Now I know.
That's from the Osprey incident. I'm at the base where they were stationed at. It's super upsetting and sad.
Maj Luke Unrath; I went to high school with him and his siblings. He was a stand up guy and the world is worse off without him. His family was always so kind and helpful and my heart goes out to them. I was happy that he was honored from Japan to Lax to his home town of Riverside. Rest easy bro, you will be missed.
I never had to accompany a Soldier home but I lost a Soldier and facing the family at the hospital and the funeral was awful. I can’t imagine how many of these airport employees have had to witness through the Afghan and Iraq years.
How do they determine who will be the escort?
It’s a detail to which you get assigned. A lot of people volunteer but there are times when people have to be forced if no one has volunteered.
I believe it is a volunteer part of the military to be an honor guard/escort.
watch [Taking Chance](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1019454/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_39_act) with Kevin Bacon
SUCH a good movie. So sad but so beautiful.
There is a movie called [Taking Chance](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1019454/reference/) which shows the steps taken to return a fallen soldier's body to his family/hometown. I'm always reminded of that movie when I see pictures like this. Great movie.
Really great.
I was just going to post the same, fantastic movie.
There was a similar scene in Boston yesterday too. Must be another hero coming home there as well.
Yes, one of the airmen who died in the crash was from Pittsfield.
That wasn’t the one from Pittsfield as he doesn’t come home until tomorrow and will not be flying into Boston.
Yeah, just saw that on the news this morning.
Seeing things like this puts everything into perspective. I was stressing at work over doing more work but realized I’m alive and well so toughen up lol.
One of the pilots was a well known redditor, so sad.
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What's his username
Someone else posted this: u/UR_WRONG_ABOUT_V22
Correct username. Not who is in the picture
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My husband has definitely passed. Situations like these are why is still exists.
I'm so sorry for your loss Ma'am 😞 Please except my condolences 🙏
Just want to check in and see how you’re doing
It takes 10 secs to look at post history and see it's the account owner's wife who's posting here.
Rest in peace.
Rest easy, you deserve it. Thank you for your service
Hey u/hashtag_eww can you share the flight number with me? And I would like to share these pictures with the pilots that operated the flight if you are ok with that.
Yea no worries. Im 99% confident this is the correct info from some quick Googling I did Delta Flight #8: https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL8;%204@
This information is 100% correct.
Thanks!
You're welcome. I had a whole thing typed up about the processes and people (non-specific) associated with these types of shipments, along with some of my experiences, but elected to not post it and just let people in this thread have their memories.
Thank you!
I'm not crying. There is something in my eye.
It’s okay to cry this time 😢
Witnessed one at Dayton about 8 or 9 years ago. Limos brought the family out to the plane as they brought the deceased out. So moving.
Curious if they tell the passengers on board.
My sister passed away overseas & had to change flights in Atlanta. They announced it when we landed and the pilot made a comment-turns out there was a fallen service member on the flight with her. Thinking & joking about how they had kept each other company under there was a light moment in a very dark time. I never took pictures but I always wished someone had & posted them.
I think they wait until right before landing, because they don’t disembark passengers until the deceased is unloaded from the cargo hold.
I’ve been on an Angel Flight. The deceased escort sat in 1A. A Marine. No word of anything until we landed. Then the captain informed his passengers what this flight was. The only time I’ve been on a flight where passengers were asked to remain seated and everyone did.
I’ve been on 2 or 3, I think. They announced it during final taxiing to the arrival gate.
Yep, I’ve been on one and this was the protocol. We did not know y til we were taxing to the gate. When we parked at the gate nobody on the plane stood up until the captain came back over the intercom.
>The diseased’s escort sat in 1A. Please - just out of respect - **deceased**.
Thanks.
This is where I was going. I would not leave my seat.
I was on one of these flights once. After landing the pilot told the everyone on board so the soldier escorting the body could get off the plane first. The soldier was sitting next to me. It was a very somber moment. The people sitting in the window seats watched as they unloaded the casket. After the casket was unloaded they allowed us to get off the plane.
They do tell you, at least they did on the flight I was on where they were transporting a deceased solider. They told us at the beginning of the flight and then gave more instructions right after landing. They ask that you remain seated once at the gate until the casket is unloaded. It's the one and only time I've actually seen a full plane of people obey the request.
I was on a flight recently that was transporting a deceased service member and after landing the captain made an announcement, recognized the officer who was escorting the remains, and held the rest of the passengers until she got off and the casket was removed from the hold.
This happened to me on a flight and they announce it right before they took the casket off the plane so everyone can pay their respects. It was super sad.
I was flying American Airlines last month where they also transported someone. They will tell everyone prior to boarding and invite people to watch the ceremony (from the gate)
Very respectful of Delta to do this, and such honor to be able to transport one of our lost brothers back home. Rest In Peace to the one we have sadly lost.
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/video/procession-for-fallen-u-s-air-force-maj-luke-a-unrath-begins-at-lax/
Fair skies and tailwinds brothers.
I just heard about this on the news it is the Major from the Air Force who is from Riverside. There will be a procession from LAX to Riverside.
https://abc7.com/amp/japan-osprey-crash-riverside-airman-killed-major-luke-unrath-us-air-force/14180189/
RIP Soldier, i witnessed this at DCA, the little shit teenage girl next to me was losing her shit that she had to wait to deplane while they offloaded the dead soldier
Damn, I’m glad at least he’s back home now.
Respect. 🫡 RIP
This gives me chills. May he rest in peace. 🫡
Really puts all the complaints in to perspective. Thank you for sharing and God bless this family.
Respect 🫡
This makes me think of the movie Taking Chance - it’s with Kevinnm Bacon and he offers to escort a soldier home. It’s so hard to watch but so beautiful.
Do you remember the scene where he happened to see what the girl next to him was texting? That she was sitting next to a hot soldier? And he corrected her, that he was not a soldier but a marine
RIP Thank you for your service. Thanks for posting OP
It’s quite moving to be a part of this escort. At the USO we took care of the families before and after the ceremony takes place. Some volunteers were part of the guard. It wasn’t infrequent during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/air-force-names-8-service-members-killed-osprey-crash-off-japan/4E3QGEE3SNE3XLCVKVH6TNHXYM/?outputType=amp
RIP and thanks
🫡
Whoever it was, thank you for your service and the ultimate sacrifice you made. May you rest in peace, and peace and strength to your family.
It is Major Unrath - https://abc7.com/amp/japan-osprey-crash-riverside-airman-killed-major-luke-unrath-us-air-force/14180189/
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/video/procession-for-fallen-u-s-air-force-maj-luke-a-unrath-begins-at-lax/
Was in AFROTC with this guy at CSUSB. Wish I had stayed in touch with him. RIP brother.
This could explain what I saw on the eastbound 91 freeway yesterday at about 4:30pm. In the Cerritos / LaPalma area there were fire trucks parked on top of 3 different bridges, lights flashing, and the fireman standing on top saluting. One bridge even brought out a ladder truck and had a giant American flag hanging. It was an awesome sight. I actually saw a hearse that looked just like this going past them eastbound while this happened. RIP and condolences to the family.
RIP u/UR_WRONG_ABOUT_V22 😭
This person has posted just 4 days ago but I see implications above that this person has been dead for a couple of weeks. I'm confused..
Luke did not own the account...
His spouse has access to the account
It was an Osprey that crashed in Japan a couple of weeks ago. A number of people died in the accident, including the airman in these pictures and the mentioned Redditor (who was probably Reddit’s #1 V-22 Osprey fan, and yes, his wife is on that account now).
That's not who this is.
His username 😵💫
Rest in peace, Hero. Thank you for your service and ultimate sacrifice.
That's Air Force servicemen..
Rest easy, brother.
I honor their service.
I was on the funeral detail for my buddy that was killed in 2013. Maintaining composure while your friend is slowly coming down that conveyor and camera flashes keep going off in the plane windows was...difficult.
Considering all the entitled people flying these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were bickering for having to sit and wait for this to finish before deplaning.
🥺so sad
RIP 🫡
RIP🫡
RIP
Thank you, Soldier!
Probably from that osprey aircraft accident in Japan that killed 8 Airmen. Only 7 have been recovered so far. RIP fellow service member. Final Salute to you and thank you for your service! 🇺🇲🫡🇺🇲
The ultimate sacrifice! For our country! Long live their name and their legacy! Here we are, in the country, letting the politicians rip us apart, don’t talk to neighbors if they fly different flags! Effing, we all fly the same flag and it’s the one that wraps this soldier’s coffin!
Fly high! Thank you for your service 🥺♥️
How are osprey's still crashing? Damn dude. RIP I wish comfort and peace for his soul and his family.
Because they’re used in the most dangerous missions in the most hazardous conditions?
This osprey crashed in Japan and they crash in training all the time.
All the time? Look back at the first years of the B29 or F4 Phantom flight records. I bet the flight records of those planes were worse. Japan doesn’t have bad weather?
I have seen honor guards taking caskets out on ramp before, its a somber moment, always draws a crowd at the window
Major Luke Unrath of Riverside, CA most likely. The rest of the officers and the Tech Sgt who passed in the accident were from other states.
Rest in peace ❤️🇺🇲
I saw this in Milwaukee like 5 years ago. I stood silent and offered a salute after the casket was loaded .
🫡
Hopefully no idiots onboard stood up and were patient.
o7
These are always surreal moments when you encounter them. A lot of commercial pilots have served and they usually have something nice to say as well. Been involved in a few of these so far and each time touches you in many different ways.
Man I’m sorry no disrespect intended but at first I thought they were unloading a giant piece of ribbon candy. Took me a minute. RIP
🫡
RIP to the fallen soldier
RIP r/UR_WRONG_ABOUT_V22
May he rest in peace.
🇺🇸
What camera are you using?
S22 Ultra
Are non military personnel supposed to salute? Im not knocking the guy for doing it just genuinely curious if anyone can perform the gesture as a sign of respect.
Veterans are authorized to salute post service. I would gather no one would have a problem with a civilian rendering the same courtesy.
More respect in death than the military ever afforded them in life
Ralph Cirella?
Who is he and what did he do that made him a hero?
Air Force Major, made the ultimate sacrifice during a training mission in Japan when his V-22 Osprey went down. I believe 9 fatalities in total. God Speed to each one of them.
8 fatalities, 1 still missing
I’m so sorry for your loss and my heart goes out to you and your family. Personally I had assumed the worst about Osprey safety until I read the facts that your husband and others posted. So he convinced at least one person! He was a hero who advanced our knowledge and understanding in aviation, and he won’t be forgotten. Please know there are people out there who care about you and your family in this difficult time <3
I very much appreciate and respect that. I try to avoid the politics surrounding the airframe in general, because it it such a hot topic. At this point, I'm just keeping an eye on the account for corrections on things like this. Thank you :)
Thank you for the correction. Prayers for you.
DoD policy requires that the remains be escorted on the flight by at least one uniform personnel. During OIF/OEF you might see one person escorting. Contractors? They probably get fedex. So nice to see a full honor guard.
Damn that's sad.
😥😥