‘Crushing’: Family says AA denied request to see Marine’s body returned home

CHARLOTTE — The family of a fallen Marine is upset after they said American Airlines didn’t go far enough to respect their wishes.

At just 18 years old, Zachary Riffle died in January in a military vehicle crash near Camp Lejeune.

“Zachy was a kid that was full of life and always had a smile,” said his stepmother Jen Plum.

Plum said Riffle left high school early and had only been in uniform since March 2021.

“He wanted to do something that mattered, and his way of doing that was to join the Marines and serve his country,” she said.

Riffle’s family said that after his death, they immediately met with a funeral director and Marine casualty officers to discuss how they could bring him home to West Virginia.

“Those details included things that other families have experienced and that included being able to watch his plane land, being able to see him deplane and being able to receive him there on the tarmac along with the Marines,” Plum said.

When the family got to the airport in Pittsburgh, they said American Airlines told them none of their requests were possible.

The family said they pushed for the airline to at least allow someone to take cellphone video. A video captured the moment Riffle’s flag-draped casket deplaned in Pittsburgh on Jan. 27. It was a special moment Riffle’s family should have seen in person but they told Channel 9 that American Airlines denied their request.

“It was just crushing,” Plum said. “It felt like having something stolen from us and we can’t ever get that back.”

The moment is one that airlines customarily allow families of fallen veterans to be on the tarmac for. In 2019, Channel 9 covered a World War II hero who was brought home to Catawba County. Private First Class Jack Burke received a police escort from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Hickory, where he was later buried.

Plum said all they wanted to do was honor Riffle.

“They said it was related to COVID policies staff shortages, they said we were not allowed on the tarmac,” Plum said. “We had to receive him in a cargo terminal.”

She said the terminal was essentially a garage.

Plum fought to have two videos taken -- one of the casket deplaning and one of the emotional moment as family members embraced Riffle’s casket and watched Marines salute in a ceremony inside the cargo room.

In an open letter to American Airlines, Riffle’s family wrote, “We could not have imagined the disrespect that took place.”

American Airlines sent Channel 9 a statement saying, “We are committed to honoring our fallen heroes. We are sorry we fell short of the family’s expectations and are reviewing the matter internally. A senior member of our team has reached out to Pfc Zachary Riffle’s family to express our condolences and hear more about their experience.”

The airline also said several ramp escorts were needed for the group so they could see the dignified transfer on the ramp, but those ramp escorts weren’t able to be provided.

“The only thing we feel we can do right now is hopefully prevent another service member and his or her family from being disrespected,” Plum said.

It is also protocol for commercial airlines to announce that a fallen service members is on board a flight. Riffle’s family was told the announcement happened on the flight from Raleigh to Charlotte, but not on the flight to Pittsburgh.

While that was another big upset, the family was grateful for the warm welcome home to Kingwood, West Virginia where the community showed up to honor him.

(WATCH BELOW: Marines from Georgia, West Virginia identified as fatalities in NC truck crash)

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