I thought of one more - my most rewarding kind of flight - C-141 airevacs going home from Vietnam (via Clark AFB) . Loading patients was a sober experience; there was lots of pain, fear, and quiet contemplation. Inflight the Nurses, Med Techs and Loadmasters worked their buts off to treat, feed, console and convince them to rest. The lights were turned down and it got very very quiet (for a C-141) - almosy scary.

During the second meal (they got three in eight hours) we announced passing the half way point "home." It was like a miracle. Fear gave way to joy, quiet comtimlation gave way to conversations like a buzzsaw. Lousy apptites became ravenous. Every crewmwmber was engaged in conversation. I spend some of the most rewarding time of my life talking to those kids (I was 28.)