Turkey Travel
In June I visited Turkey for 15 days. The Southern Illinois asked me to write a travel story which ran on Aug. 1, 2004 accompanied by eight of my photographs.
Read the story. (It is really long)
William Recktenwald: Flight a stark reminder of true service
January 13, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan
Just before Christmas, I was headed to Africa for a holiday.
Using frequent flyer miles, I managed to score a free seat in the
business class Northwest/KLM flight.
In Detroit during a layover, I waited in the airline lounge.
Watching CNN and sipping a cappuccino, I noticed a soldier sit
nearby. The army staff sergeant looked smart in his dress green
uniform complete with several rows of ribbons and decorations.
I recognized the Combat Infantryman's Badge, airborne wings, and
a Bronze Star ribbon with a V device.
His trouser legs were carefully tucked into the top of his
highly polished black boots. This was a soldier who had seen
combat, and likely a lot of it; the Bronze Star is awarded for
valor in combat.
As time passed, folks moved in and out of the lounge. Finally,
the announcement came that my flight was boarding, and as I got up
to leave, the sergeant stood as well. At the long escalator that
takes you to the main terminal, he was just two stairs in front of
me. I could see the patch on his shoulder, the screaming eagle of
the 101st Airborne Division based in Fort Campbell, not far from my
home.
"You headed home from beautiful Fort Campbell?" I asked with a
smile.
"No sir," he said with a sober look on his face, "I have to take
one of my men home."
A chill shot through me as I realized what he was doing. He was
the military escort for the remains of a soldier who has died while
on active duty.
The smile left my face, and the sergeant could see my
embarrassment.
The awkwardness of the moment seemed to last forever, but as we
stepped off the moving stairs I was able to muster a comment.
"Thank you for your service," I said, looking him in the
eye.
"Thank you, sir," he answered, and shook my hand.
I headed off to my flight; he turned to talk to an airline
employee.
Walking to my gate, people passed laughing and chatting,
children in tow; it was Christmastime and folks were headed
home.
I had two eight-hour flights ahead. I spent much of it thinking
about the sergeant and how he would be spending his day, would he
be met by a family; a mother, a father, sisters, brothers, maybe a
wife, perhaps children.
I wondered how this soldier lost his life; combat, a roadside
bomb, a car accident at his home base; I never would know these
things.
But I do know that for the family it would not be a joyful
Christmas.
At Mass on Christmas Day in Kampala, Uganda, I thought about the
soldier, whose name I do not know, and the hundreds of thousands of
others who serve in remote places on the globe, many in harm's
way.
We are a fortunate people, even in our worst of times we live
better than most in the world. We should take time to be thankful
for those who give so much to assure that our way of life will
continue.
William Recktenwald is a senior lecturer and journalist in
residence at the SIU School of Journalism.
