This Memorial Day weekend we have an opportunity to not only gather for family outings, barbeques, and fun times but to pause to remember and share in gratitude for all those who have served our country.  Each year in my neighborhood, a squadron of planes fly overhead in antique WWII planes. When we hear the roar of the engines, we run outside and wave wildly as we join in the remembering as our emotions run high. The pilots often circle two or three times and we just love seeing them. I appreciate their dedication and effort to honor of all the men and women who have served so valiantly, those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who lived to tell. (However most never speak of their lived traumas in war.)

The following is a story of a man, Brian Mc Connell who honors our fallen heroes in an incredibly unique and compassionate manner. Brian has provided dedicated service for over 40 years as an airline worker at the Atlanta airport in Georgia. He is one of the  outdoor workers in the yellow vests who serve where the planes are boarded, loaded and refueled. However, after witnessing the work of the Delta Honor Guard, a group of volunteers who handle extremely personal cargo, Brian discovered his true calling.

Listen to this beautiful story of Brian sharing with is wife  Nora, about the moment when everything changed, and how he’s found a new sense of purpose by honoring the military’s fallen.

Note: This story was recorded in partnership with Delta Air Lines. Top Photo: Nora and Brian McConnell at their StoryCorps interview in Atlanta, Georgia on April 14, 2016. By Morgan Feigal-Stickles for StoryCorps.

Shred by Liz Sorensen Wessel