Thread by @DanLamothe

I'm on a plane bound from Honolulu to Dallas. The pilot just notified passengers that we will be traveling with the remains of a U.S. veteran who fought in the Korean War.

I don't have a lot of details. But it's important to note that this is a common and important occurrence as America continues to identify and send home its fallen service members from the Korean War. The U.S. military lab that does so is here in Hawaii.

We're told a ceremony is planned upon arrival in Texas. At least one soldier in dress uniform is aboard this flight.

Powering down for now.

From plane Wi-Fi:

Flight attendants tell me the recovered soldier is Army Pfc. Jasper Marquez. The Pentagon announced last month that it identified soldier by that name among a group of remains recovered from North Korea in July 2018.

dpaa.mil/News-Stories/N…

The Pentagon says that Marquez, 21, was reported missing in action November 28, 1950, when his unit was attacked near Kujang-dong, North Korea.

A returning U.S. prisoner of war later reported that Marquez died Jan. 20, 1951, while held captive by North Korea, @dodpaa says.

North Korea turned over Marquez's remains after the first summit between @realDonaldTrump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It was a bright spot coming out of the meeting.

washingtonpost.com/world/us-sends…

That was especially so after years of repatriation efforts involving the Korean War coming in fits and starts. That's something I wrote about in Page One story before here.

washingtonpost.com/world/national…

U.S. efforts to repatriate other service members have been frustrated. North Korean officials stopped responding to U.S. queries about future searches, the Pentagon said in May.

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

Back to Marquez, the fallen soldier aboard this flight.

A week ago, the @ABQJournal reported that he was from New Mexico and will return there. A service will be held for him at the Santa Fe National Cemetery on Nov. 18, the paper reported.

abqjournal.com/1386031/nm-sol…

We've landed at @DFWAirport on an @AmericanAir flight.

The military escort, a young sergeant traveling in business class, exited the plane first. The @AmericanAir pilot greeted him as he departed the plane.

On the tarmac before dawn, the escort and a few others waited for the remains of Pfc. Marquez to leave the plane.

They were lowered somberly. It was a quick moment as Pfc. Marquez, who was held as a prisoner of war, continues his belated journey home to New Mexico.

Thanks to the @AmericanAir flight attendant who doublechecked the name for me. She seemed passionate about this part of her job, in particular.

A day later on this #VeteransDay day weekend, I'm struck by how many people paid attention here. I'm also would like to note a few things that seem important...

I think it's important to note that, getting off the plane, every single person aboard complied with flight attendant requests to let the sergeant serving as Army escort exit the aircraft first. That shouldn't have a been a problem... But it also wasn't. Found that encouraging.

It also seems worth noting that the most emotional details here -- the circumstances under which Jasper Marquez came home as a deceased former POW -- were easy to overlook during our flight.

Passengers knew that human remains were aboard. Unless they went searching after hearing Marquez's name, they wouldn't have a reason to grasp any greater significance to it. It wasn't stated. Still, people generally seemed respectful anyway.

The pilot mentioned we'd be able to see the remains removed at plane side from the terminal after we exited the aircraft. I hung around to do so, but it also felt a bit like I was in on a greater truth after searching for details mid-flight.

Maybe there's some greater lesson there in staying engaged as a citizen. That seems like an important discussion this weekend, especially after reading things like @DarioDiBattista's writing here.

Thanks for listening.

https://twitter.com/DanLamothe/status/1193520091368869888?s=19