Heartbreaking moment widow meets her army hero husband’s coffin on the airport tarmac – and reduces an entire plane of passengers to tears

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The father-of-four's body was returned to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina, ahead of his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Passenger Lisa West Williams recorded the moment the Green Beret's wife, Tara, met the flag-draped coffin on the tarmac.

Sharing the video on Facebook, she wrote: '"It was an honour to fly home with this PATRIOT!

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"God bless his wife and family. There was not a dry eye around me."

In the clip, Mrs Thomas and other family members can be seen gathering around the coffin as it is lowered from the plane.

Lisa told WNCT 9: “She did thank me for the video and she wanted it to be shared.

"She wanted people to realise that this goes on every day.

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"There are many men and women that come home in a casket and they’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for us.”

Warrant officer Thomas, who was based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was deployed to central Africa to assist members of the Nigerian Armed Forces conducting counter-Boko Haram operations.

He received a Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal following his death, recognising his work in Niger.

According to the Army Times, he had been in the army since 2000, serving seven times in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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