• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Southwest Airlines  >  Southwest Pilot Reunited With His Father…52 Years Later
Southwest Airlines

Southwest Pilot Reunited With His Father…52 Years Later

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 9, 2019August 9, 2019 3 Comments

Ready for a tragic story with a beautiful ending? Get your tissue ready.

Imagine you are five years old. It is 1967 and your father is heading off to war. He had enlisted when he was 17 years old but had risen to the rank of Major and was now a pilot. You travel with him with to Love Field in Dallas and give him a big hug goodbye. You hope and you pray that he comes back soon, but it’s Vietnam…and President Johnson is escalating the war. All you know is you want your daddy back.

That was January and by May the letters stopped arriving. You are told that your father is missing in action; that his plane was shot down over enemy territory in Laos.

Did he make it? Will he come back? Is he now a POW? You wait and wait.

Now you’re 12. You get official word that your father is dead. But no body. No remains. Not even a dog tag. Just a presumption from the Air Force.

Your life goes on even though it cannot go on…at least not in the same way.

You become a pilot. You start flying four Southwest. As you travel through the air, you wonder what it might have been like to fly with your father.

Then one day, 52 years later, you receive a call. It’s the Air Force. Your father’s body is being flown to California…and you’re offered the chance to fly his body from Oakland to Dallas.

That’s right, you return to the very same spot 52 years to later that you said goodbye to your father.

True Story

This is the true story of Roy Knight Jr. and his son, Southwest Captain Bryan Knight. Perhaps even more moving is that as Knight’s remains were being unloaded, travelers at DAL noticed…and paused. As travelers crowded the window to watch the solemn procession, a usually-bustling airport fell silent. Totally silent. It was a fitting memorial to a man who never received one even though he bravely died for his country in war.

CONCLUSION

Knight may be home, but he’s not really home. I’m reminded of High Flight, written by John Gillespie Magee Jr. and one of the first things I was asked to memorize when I joined the Air Force.

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.
Hovering 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.

image: Ashlee D. Smith/Southwest Airlines

Previous Article Introduction: A Quick Summer Adventure Around The World
Next Article How Impeccable ANA Shines Even During Flight Check-In

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg

    Intolerable Inaction of Secretary Of Transportation Buttigieg

    February 26, 2023
  • Spirit Airlines Fire

    Spirit Airlines To Become Second Largest From San Juan

    February 19, 2023
  • American airlines pilot

    Union Urges American Airlines Pilots: “Apply To Delta Now”

    February 12, 2023

3 Comments

  1. James Reply
    August 9, 2019 at 8:19 am

    Thanks for sharing, Matthew. Cannot imagine the emotions felt by Captain Knight over the past 52 years. Glad that perhaps he can have some real closure now.

  2. Paolo Reply
    August 10, 2019 at 2:51 am

    Yes, everything about it was tragic. A classic case of ‘only losers’…including those who lost their lives, their families, the returning servicemen who were treated appallingly by govts and pretty much treated as pariahs by the public. Millions upon millions still suffering today, including many of those who served in foreign forces as well as those whose countries were destroyed by the war.
    For all the fond memories we have of the 60s, the war is certainly not amongst them.

    • Kathleen Reilly Reply
      August 10, 2019 at 7:16 pm

      May Major Toy Knight rest in peace. It is my hope, Captain Bryan Knight knows and embraces the true meaning of eternal love, love lives on forever. Love never dies.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • United Airlines Wants Flight Attendants To Create “Wow Factor” Onboard March 30, 2023
  • Homeless Man Steals Luggage
    Homeless Man Helps Himself To Luggage In Atlanta Airport March 30, 2023
  • Delta SkyMiles Schedule Change
    UPDATE: Delta Air Lines Strands Senior Citizens In Middle East After Absurd Schedule Change March 29, 2023
  • Turkish Airlines IndiGo 777
    New Turkish Airlines 777: Only 7 Business Class Seats, 524 Economy Class Seats March 29, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Kayleigh Scott United Airlines
    The Tragic Death Of A United Airlines Flight Attendant March 21, 2023
  • Delta SkyMiles Schedule Change
    UPDATE: Delta Air Lines Strands Senior Citizens In Middle East After Absurd Schedule Change March 29, 2023
  • Southwest Airlines Wife Slap
    Enraged Husband Attacks Man On Southwest Airlines Flight After He Bumps Wife March 8, 2023
  • United Polaris Lounge LAX Review
    Review: United Airlines Polaris Lounge Los Angeles (LAX) March 24, 2023

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.