Alaska Airlines employees, in conjunction with San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and San Antonio Aerospace, a commercial aerospace unit of ST Engineering, held a hand-off ceremony on May 22 to unveil a new Fallen Hero Cart based at SAT. This is the 14th cart crafted by the airline’s maintenance team to honor all fallen military members and the first to be delivered this year. It is used to transport the remains of all of the deceased with respect and honor to and from the aircraft. The cart is available to all airlines at SAT.
“We are honored to bring this cart to San Antonio,” said Brian Bowden, founder of the Alaska Airlines Fallen Soldier Program. “This program is designed to make sure every military member, active, retired or veteran and their families are honored for their service and sacrifice in a respectful dignified manner on their final journey. The goal is to have a cart at every station we serve.”
This one-of-a-kind cart is specifically designed with an interior plaque dedicated to San Antonio and also acknowledges the important role of law enforcement. With blue paint, red carpet and American flag curtains, the customized cart’s exterior also features plaques representing the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force.
San Antonio is home to one of the biggest populations of active military and veterans in the United States and we are beyond proud to be officially known as Military City, USA, “ said Jesus Saenz, Director of Airports, San Antonio Airport System. “Having a Fallen Hero Cart here will be a special resource for our community and we are pleased to know all airlines at SAT will have access to it.”
Partnering with ST Engineering for tarmac space, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air each flew in their special military livery aircraft, “Honoring Those Who Serve” to be part of the ceremony. This is the first time two military livery aircraft have been able to join the hand-off.
“Alaska Airlines has been a long-standing customer of ST Engineering and our airframe maintenance operations in San Antonio, where many of our employees are veterans or have family members in the military. We applaud this initiative by Alaska Airlines and it is a great honor for us to be of assistance in hosting this event, “ said Irving Tjin, SVP/General Manager at San Antonio Aerospace.
In May 2011, Alaska Airlines employees developed a structured Fallen Solider Program to ensure strict military protocols are followed when transporting a fallen soldier. From this program, Alaska Airlines employees designed the Fallen Hero Carts.
For more information on the Alaska Airlines’ Fallen Hero Cart and Fallen Solider Program visit this blog.
