WEBVTT

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(birds chirp)

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(soothing music)

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(helicopter whirs)

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^- When we found out that Senior Airman Johnson was coming,

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^goosebumps.

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^This was big, especially for me because I was here.

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Very, very proud that she's able to come.

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I can't think of anything more rewarding than that.

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(slow music)

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- I saw that I was slotted for Vietnam

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and it was the month of my dad's anniversary

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so I had a lot of mixed emotions.

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^I was excited and then it kind of hit me, like,

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^wow, I'm going to do the exact same thing that he did.

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What I remember the most is my dad always being gone

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and then coming back with stories.

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I was actually nine when he passed,

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but I was in Hawaii so my whole childhood

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I just remember him being in DPAA.

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- He was a big man but he was also

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just a really, really nice man.

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He had been on multiple missions before the accident

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so I knew him as the team sergeant and he came through,

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set up for his teams, et cetera.

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Pulling equipment from the warehouses.

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- They're telling me stories and they'll talk

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about how awesome he was at his job.

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It really touched me.

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It was great to hear and then it pushed me

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to make sure I tried my best when I was here.

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Going through this mission, it just opened my eyes

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a little bit more about what we do and what happened then

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in history and the lives that we lost.

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It kind of hit me that I'm here, I'm a part of this now

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so I kind of want to continue on strong.

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I felt like I was finishing his mission for him.

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It really motivated me to try my best for him.

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The mission as a whole, what we're doing, why we're here,

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I think it's pretty cool and it makes it worth it.

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I'm proud of myself.

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I never would've imagined doing anything like this.

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It's kind of amazing to know that people

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are still remembering him, and not just him but everyone

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that was a part of that crash so it's heartwarming

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to know that other people care.

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- It's still a raw nerve for all of us.

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It was a hard time.

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You know, after 17 years you think it's gets easier.

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It doesn't.

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He's missed along with the rest of them very much so.

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I'm just happy that his daughter was able to come

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and be a part of this and I know he's proud.

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I know he's looking down and smiling.

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(slow piano music)