Tribute to a fallen son
Phoenix res agent helps others honor
those who sacrifice their life for freedom
November 11, 2009
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This plaque is displayed at a new Night Stalker hangar at Fort Lewis, Wash, in honor of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Hershel D. McCants.
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By Marianne Lindsey
There isn’t a day that goes by when Goldie Murphy doesn’t think about her son. It’s been more than two years since Dan died as a soldier in Afghanistan, yet the shock and sadness lingers deep within her.
A home-based reservations agent in Phoenix, Murphy joined Alaska Airlines 13 years ago so she could travel to see Dan as he progressed in his military career. Dan McCants enlisted in the Army when he was 17. He worked his way up from an enlisted soldier to Special Forces, became a Green Beret and medevac pilot, and then joined one of the most elite squadrons as a Night Stalker pilot.
Night Stalkers provide aviation support to Army special operations forces. McCants died during a Night Stalker mission over southeastern Afghanistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. When his MH-47E helicopter crashed, seven others died with him.
Murphy remembers that day like it occurred a moment ago. She was working in the Phoenix Reservations Center when her daughter told her the news. If there was any comfort, it was how Murphy’s co-workers helped her though every parent’s worst nightmare.
“At Alaska, we’re a family. And if it wasn’t for the support of my co-workers, I don’t think I could have made it through,” Murphy says.
Fellow agent Linda Weaver removed all the pictures of Dan from Murphy’s cubicle, turning them into a book that folded out into a star. This support and counseling offered by the Veteran’s Administration helped Murphy deal with her loss.
As a CARE team member who helped passengers’ families deal with their grief at the scene of Flight 261, Murphy never dreamed she’d be the one receiving care. Murphy knew she had to find an outlet for her pain — and she did by getting busy.
She started a local chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers, a veteran’s service organization for parents who have lost children. Today, it’s grown to four chapters in Arizona. Among her activities as director, Murphy procured banners honoring fallen soldiers. Murphy’s banners — all 70 of them — were displayed this past Monday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in Phoenix in honor of Veterans Day.
“It takes a little bit of the pain away when I help others,” Murphy says.
Her grief came full circle this fall when Murphy and six family members traveled to Seattle to attend the dedication of a new Night Stalker hangar at Fort Lewis, Wash, in honor of her son. An engraved plaque is prominently displayed near the hangar entrance, citing Chief Warrant Officer 3 Hershel D. McCants’ sacrifice in the name of his country.
One emotional event followed another that day. Murphy attended the first football game for her 13-year-old grandson, Trevor, since his dad died. During the game, the Fort Lewis Night Stalker unit performed a fly-by and “missing man” formation over the football field.
“There were two Blackhawks and a Chinook helicopter,” Murphy says. “It was incredibly emotional and I couldn’t help being so proud of what my son has done and what he stood for. We can never take what our servicemen do for granted.”
Alaska Airlines is proud to celebrate Veterans Day today — and to honor the many men and women who have fought for our freedom, including Chief Warrant Officer 3 Hershel D. McCants.
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