We just wrapped up day two of NeoCon, and I had planned to dedicate this post to telling you about another amazing day (and it was). But as I headed to the airport I experienced something so moving, I’d like to share it.

As I headed to my gate, exhausted from two days and nearly 20 press visits, all I wanted to do was eat my snack wrap. Then I saw a crowd of people huddled by a long stretch of windows. I assumed a dignitary or celebrity was outside, and my nosy nature took over, so I had to look. I was not prepared for what I was about to see — a fallen soldier’s body returning from war.

A group of Marines in full dress blues waited for the flag-draped coffin to come off of the American Airlines plane, while nearly 100 airport staff stood in salute. Police cars, fire engines and airport security vehicles waited nearby, lights flashing. The crowd inside the airport stood in silence, some people had tears running down their cheeks. The Marines took the coffin from the plane and placed it on a vehicle that when closed, had the American flag painted across it. Sadly, it appears they have a vehicle specifically for this purpose.

The man standing next to me summed it up well. He said, “You see war reports on the news every day, but that really brings it home.”

It truly was an amazing experience to watch. Hats off to American Airlines and the O’Hare airport staff for ensuring such an honorable return.