Presidewnt reagan's Missing Man Formation

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..........
snip

Damn,,,, your depressing.... ;-)

emoove (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.

(besides the leader) The other aircrews turn their heads 45 degrees
left or right to view the aircraft in front of them. They use it as
reference to their position in the formation. If the lead aircraft
became the missing man, then the other aircraft would have no good
reference points to keep themselves in proper formation.

Don't know if anyone else heard this but on Wednesday during the Air
Force 21 ship salute over Washington, Peter Jennings called the
formation the "Solo Man Formation". Plus the camera man focusing on
the aircraft doing the rapid climb away from the formation. IMHO, the
focus of the "Missing Man" is not on this aricraft but on the
remaining formation.

(Mark) wrote:
Don't know if anyone else heard this but on Wednesday during the Air
Force 21 ship salute over Washington, Peter Jennings called the
formation the "Solo Man Formation". Plus the camera man focusing on
the aircraft doing the rapid climb away from the formation. IMHO, the
focus of the "Missing Man" is not on this aricraft but on the
remaining formation.


Roger that. It is bone chilling watching the aircraft depart the
formation, but as you say, the focus is on the remaining aircraft.

--
Mike Flyin'8

The missing man formation should not be modified according to the stature or
position of the deceased....every one of the members of the military that
earned the priviledge of having the missing man formation flown in their honor
was a leader...

"AChrist123" wrote in message
...
The missing man formation should not be modified according to the stature
or
position of the deceased....every one of the members of the military that
earned the priviledge of having the missing man formation flown in their
honor
was a leader...

Precisely.

On 15 Jun 2004 08:01:51 -0700, (Mark) wrote:

Peter Jennings called the
formation the "Solo Man Formation".

I'm amazed he didn't say "Solo Person Formation".

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

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