Our band arrived at the United Airlines counter at SFO and met an Honor Flight volunteer from the USO. She coordinated ‘boarding passes’ for us to enter the TSA secured terminal. The seven pipers (no drummers that evening) and my wife acting as camera person were given VIP treatment and given access to a non-passenger screening line. Of course, a group of bagpipers in uniform draws attention in an environment where travelers do not expect to see a bagpipe band. Many mobile phones took pictures of us along the way. Being in uniform and carrying pipes normally draws attention, but this was taken to a whole new level with the public. The TSA security treated us like any passenger and were asked to take off shoes, spats, glens, belts and everything containing metal and all, including bagpipes, were sent through the X-ray machine. Individually we stepped through the security scanner then proceeded to re-dress. One of our female pipers was subjected to a pat down for some inexplicable reason. She was not happy about it, but took it pretty much in stride. We were met on the other side of TSA security by a SFO manager coordinating the airport’s involvement with the Honor Flights. He escorted us to a room where we could warm up and tune. As always warming up is a cacophony of sounds and music. Tuning always takes a good deal of time, but everyone does there part having tuned with the band ‘a hundred’ times. The room we were in had a wall of glass open to the terminal so many travelers stopped, looked and listened. We even had a number of bold airline flight attendants step in to our room as we played tunes to get drones and chanters in tune. More camera phones came out.
The flight was approximately 40 minutes late, but we left our tuning room early to wander to the lower level gate. We met other Honor Flight welcome home volunteers that included a color guard, police, fire fighters, security teams from SFO and some family members who got permission (like us) to greet the flight. There were also Honor Flight volunteer staff handling the 20+ wheel chairs for the veterans returning from their trip. When the flight arrived, the civilian travelers disembarked first, walking cautiously through the gauntlet of flags and well-wishers. The Honor Flight staff then jumped into action bringing the wheel chairs down the retractable ramp to the plane where they helped the veterans disembark and prepare to be greeted. When the first veteran show at the gate door, we struck in with Scotland the Brave – Rowan Tree – Scotland the Brave, then followed with Green Hills of Tyrol and Battles O’er. As the gate was on a lower level the Vets needed to be transported up a level and once there were serenaded by a young woman who sang The Star Spangled Banner. Many of the veterans saluted or covered their hearts with their hands. She then sang, and we all joined in singing, God Bless America.
As soon as her singing had concluded and applause died down, we formed columns of two, struck in and led the color party and vets out of the terminal playing Crags of Tumbledown Mountain. Once exited, we halted and completed playing our set. We dismissed as a band, then greeted and thanked the veterans for their service. I met a veteran from the attack on Pearl Harbor, a tail gunner in the Pacific theatre who had been shot down twice by enemy fire and an Army Ranger who fought on D-Day. I would have loved to have heard some of their stories. What an honor it was to play for the elderly gentlemen. It is times like these that I love playing the pipes, and look forward to playing again, and again, for these American heroes.
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