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CHERRY POINT, N.C. - When Lt. Col. William Sauerland, commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 223, heard about a request for an AV/8B Harrier squadron to conduct a flyover at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Veterans Day, his response was quick. A native of Pittsburgh, Sauerland saw the opportunity to honor a lost brother, his squadron and all service members by soaring over the bright lights and cheering crowds of Heinz Field during the national holiday.
Sauerland took the mission on personally to dedicate the flight to Lt. Col. Christopher Raible, a fellow Pittsburgh native and the former commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211, and Sgt. Bradley Atwell, an aviation electrician with VMA-211. Both were killed during an attack at Camp Bastian, Afghanistan, earlier this year. Sauerland felt this flyover was a great way to honor the two Marines.
Sauerland said the Harrier community is small; Raible had been a member of VMA-223 several times throughout his career and was a close friend.
“This is a huge honor, and we are very proud,” said Sauerland. “This is a huge opportunity to not only represent Lt. Col. Raible and Sgt. Atwell but all Marines on Veterans Day.”
Two AV-8B Harriers rocketed over the stadium at the end of the national anthem to put an exclamation point at the end of the song and the beginning of the game.
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 11.14.2012 17:37 |
| Story ID: | 97797 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 328 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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