I was on a commercial flight within the US. Just a normal flight, nothing out of the ordinary. You know, people coughing, kids crying during take off and landing because their ears hurt. You know, the usual.
When we landed the announcement came over the loudspeaker, as it always does, to "please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until the captain brings the plane to the jetway". Same message as always.
Then, just as we were at the jetway another announcement came over the loudspeaker. I don't remember the exact words but something like, "Please remain in your seats and observe a moment of silence while the remains of a fallen soldier have been taken from the plane".
It was so weird. No one moved, no one coughed or shuffled in their seat. The children stopped crying. Dead silence for about 5 solid minutes. When the announcement came over the loudspeaker that we were now free to exit the plane people actually paused, no one spoke, no one shoved to get into the overhead for their carry-on. Everything was so orderly and quiet.
I don't know why the body of a fallen soldier was on a commercial flight, maybe it was either the only way to get him (or her) home or maybe the quickest.