In 2005, Tom Schenk witnessed something that stopped him in his tracks. On the tarmac of Atlanta’s airport, a single Marine stood silently, saluting a casket. Schenk joined the Marine in her salute and learned the casket held her brother, who was killed while protecting others during an ambush.
The lack of ceremony and the absence of recognition left an impression.
Schenk, a 20-year Navy veteran, called his friend Gary Landerfelt, a longtime Delta Airlines ramp agent. Together, they decided that fallen heroes and moments like that demanded more.
They started the Delta Honor Guard.
“Tom connected with veterans and staff across the airport and purchased flags and vests. I drafted our mission and procedures and was asked to serve as the honor guard chaplain. We even designed challenge coins to present to each escort and family of the deceased after the funerals,” Landerfelt wrote.
What began as a simple act of respect has grown into a volunteer organization dedicated to ensuring that every fallen service member and first responder receives the dignity and honor they deserve.
At first, it was just a handful of employees stepping up when there was a need. But the effort quickly spread across Delta Airlines. And this isn’t just happening at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. Today, the Delta Honor Guard includes volunteers from across the country, from every corner of the airline – pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, baggage handlers – ordinary people bound by a commitment to honor those who gave all.
When a flight carrying a fallen hero arrives, they line the tarmac in formation, execute a brief, solemn ceremony, and stand with the families in their grief.
Those moments transform something that could have been quiet and isolating into something deeply meaningful: a shared remembrance, a visible sign of gratitude. Families often tell Schenk and Landerfelt that the Honor Guard’s presence is the first time they felt their loved one’s sacrifice was seen and acknowledged.
Now, 20 years later, the impact speaks for itself. The Delta Honor Guard has carried out more than 10,500 ceremonies across the country. Each one is a promise–that no hero will go home unrecognized, and no family will stand alone in their loss.
For Schenk and Landerfelt, it’s not about pomp and circumstance; it’s about people. It’s about service. And it’s about carrying forward the values they both hold dear.
