Matt Niblett is a C-130 pilot and had the honor of flying 2 of these missions while he was in Japan. One for a pilot shot down in WW II discovered in New Guinea and another for a pilot shot down during the Vietnam War in Thailand.
The military calls these missions “RePats” (Re-Patriotism – “Bring them home”). A very active group of military personnel constantly investigate and search for all of our “missing in action” soldiers (they never give up).
The 2 RePats that Matt flew came from rumors out of remote villages in those countries about “planes in the jungle”. The investigators can identify the plane by the number on the plane and then trace back the flight records to see what path that plane was on when it went missing. They may only find a tooth or bone fragment or uniform button and sometimes a dog tag but whatever they find the soldier is given full military respect and honor all the way home to his/her family.
Quite an honor for anyone who is privileged to be a part of a RePat mission.
The video is about a song called "Angel Flight". One reason it is called Angel, is when the plane releases its decoy missiles, as shown in several of the pictures, it creates an Angel shape in the smoke. Listen to the words of the pilot and the tower, and make sure you sit quietly and listen to the very end.
God bless our troops and all who have served for our freedom!
