A Measure of Respect, Indeed

A man well worth remembering this 4th of July:

Ten years ago next month a tragic midair collision of two military transport aircraft at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., resulted in 24 deaths and more than 100 injuries. One survivor, Army Maj. Jay P. Nelson, has his burns to remind him daily of the accident.

Nelson was a lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division during the March 23, 1994, crash that caused a ball of flames to sweep over him, leaving more than 45 percent of his body burned so badly that medical personnel thought he wouldn’t survive overnight. Today, he is a major with the U.S. Army Special Operations Support Command (Airborne) here.

For the paratroopers, like Nelson, that were conducting sustained airborne training at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., the day was going to consist of an easy static line jump that would allow them to quickly return home. Instead, it turned into a day that many will never be able to forget or fully recover from.

“Recovery is a long process,” said Nelson. “I am still recovering.”

Although Nelson is still dealing with the aftermath of the accident, he said his family does not let it control their lives.

“You don’t let one bad thing govern the rest of your life, because then you are a victim,” Nelson said. “I am not a victim, nor is my wife. I am a survivor. There is life after traumatic events, whatever they might be. In my case, it was an aircraft incident where I was burned terribly. I am not going to sit here and let that be the only thing that happened in my life - there are still other great things to do here.”

Nelson said that after the accident a lot of people told him they didn’t think he should even consider staying in the Army, but he thought differently.

“It felt like I still had a lot of good years left in me,” he said. “I have always wanted to do this. I loved being in the 82nd. I love jumping out of airplanes. I love being a soldier.”

Where do we get such men?

May God make the supply of brave Americans ever replenishable.