Presidewnt reagan's Missing Man Formation

Former President Reagan's sunset burial had a dissonant note for me. The Navy
flew a missing man formation over the site, and as is traditional the second
element lead position (the airplane that would have been represented by your
ring finger tip as they flew in finger tip formation) left its position,
representing the missing man.

For this man, this president, tradition should have been broken. The missing
man was a Leader. The lead position should have been the vacant one.

For this man, this president, tradition should have been broken. The
missing
man was a Leader. The lead position should have been the vacant one.

Not intending this as any political statement,, just an observation -
Perhaps the reason they do it that way for a president as well, is that
typically presidents usually order the military to war and the president
stays behind while the soldiers actually go into the battle, that is, the
president doesn't physically lead the soldiers into battle themselves.

On a side note: I can't claim to be one of Regan's political fans, but
watching his draped casket come down the stairs with his widow waiting was
indeed a somber moment,, looking at Nancy standing in the rain under the
umbrella.

While watching the latter, I did encounter a curious errant thought that
passed through my mind while watching that casket being carried down the
steps with music playing; how, maybe at that same moment in some part of our
country there was a widow standing alone by a graveside with only herself
(all her friend's and family had passed on), the body of her spouse, a
couple of cemetery workers and the minister in attendance and there was no
fanfare or special music, yet her loss,, to her,,, was crushing and deeply
profound - but most people would never know of the loss of her lifelong
partner and would never hear her husband's name. Just the way it
is..........

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Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL
Student-IASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -

On a side note: I can't claim to be one of Regan's political fans, but
watching his draped casket come down the stairs with his widow waiting was
indeed a somber moment,, looking at Nancy standing in the rain under the
umbrella.

While watching the latter, I did encounter a curious errant thought that
passed through my mind while watching that casket being carried down the
steps with music playing; how, maybe at that same moment in some part of our
country there was a widow standing alone by a graveside with only herself
(all her friend's and family had passed on), the body of her spouse, a
couple of cemetery workers and the minister in attendance and there was no
fanfare or special music, yet her loss,, to her,,, was crushing and deeply
profound - but most people would never know of the loss of her lifelong
partner and would never hear her husband's name. Just the way it
is..........

There are too many such lonely people looking at caskets, at holes in the
ground. I'm not sure the presence of others nearby makes their grief less
profound, just more public.

Some of us are luckier than others, we have lovers and friends, and in this
forum at least many of us have felt the load on the wheels lighten as the wind
lifts us, and as John Gillespie Magee Jr. wrote, touched the face of God.

All of us know this poem, but from time to time it's worth rereading.

Here it is.

"High Flight"
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

"tony" wrote in message
...
For this man [blah blah blah]

Always someone, isn't there? Just can't help posting their off-topic
political crap to an aviation newsgroup.

"tony" wrote in message
...

Former President Reagan's sunset burial had a dissonant note for me.
The Navy flew a missing man formation over the site, and as is traditional
the second element lead position (the airplane that would have been
represented by your ring finger tip as they flew in finger tip formation)
left
its position, representing the missing man.

For this man, this president, tradition should have been broken. The
missing
man was a Leader. The lead position should have been the vacant one.


Is the missing man formation a tradition for Presidential funerals at all?
It's traditional for a fallen aviator, but I don't recall it being done for
previous Presidents. Reagan did serve in the USAAF, but not as an aviator.

All of us know this poem, but from time to time it's worth rereading.

"High Flight"
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Thanks, Tony.

FYI: Dwayne O'Brien (Grammy-award-winning musician, accomplished aerobatic
pilot) has put "High Flight" to music. His rendition takes an already
touching poem and adds a musical poignancy that's hard to describe.

I highly recommend his disk of flying music. It's one of the six CDs
playing in our lobby 24/7.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article ,
emoove (tony) wrote:

Former President Reagan's sunset burial had a dissonant note for me. The Navy
flew a missing man formation over the site, and as is traditional the second
element lead position (the airplane that would have been represented by your
ring finger tip as they flew in finger tip formation) left its position,
representing the missing man.

For this man, this president, tradition should have been broken. The missing
man was a Leader. The lead position should have been the vacant one.





Then there's the Italian (or French) missing man formation: the three
wingmen pull while the lead continues on course.

"Orval Fairbairn" wrote in message
news

Then there's the Italian (or French) missing man formation: the three
wingmen pull while the lead continues on course.

That sounds like they're leaving the guy behind.

(Donning asbestos flame suit)

For political reasons, it would have been appropriate for the RIGHT WINGman to
be the one that departed.

{;-)


[Flame suit off]


Jim



-In article ,
- emoove (tony) wrote:
-
- Former President Reagan's sunset burial had a dissonant note for me. The
Navy
- flew a missing man formation over the site, and as is traditional the second
- element lead position (the airplane that would have been represented by
your
- ring finger tip as they flew in finger tip formation) left its position,
- representing the missing man.
-
- For this man, this president, tradition should have been broken. The missing
- man was a Leader. The lead position should have been the vacant one.

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Then there's the Italian (or French) missing man formation: the three
wingmen pull while the lead continues on course.

That sounds like they're leaving the guy behind.


.... which is kind of poetic if viewed spiritually. It also puts the focus on
the guy that's missing, rather than the fact that he is.

Jose

--
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