Emma McCune
 

If any of you remember flying Emma McCune in an out of Sudan twenty years ago, or, that she was killed in 1993, her adopted son, a former child soldier, Emmanuel Jal has been on CNN a few times promoting Peace and AID for Africa. He’s gained a little notoriety as a rap artist and has turned out to be fine young man. Emma was pregnant when she was killed in an, “accident”, in Nairobi where she had gone to prepare for the birth of her child. She had married Riek Machar, the current Vice President of South Sudan.

Obituary: Emma McCune - People - News - The Independent

A woman named Deborah Scroggins wrote a book about Emma called “Emma’s War”. I will reserve judgment on the book, but for anyone of the many people involved in flying relief into Sudan out of Lokichogio Kenya between 1988 and 1993, most probably met Emma McCune, heard all the controversy, made their judgments, and, probably where quite shocked to hear of her sudden and violent death.

I knew her as well as most, she died 19 years ago this weekend. The last time I saw her she looked like she had been through hell. She was stumbling along a Loki dirt road, alone in the dark of night, making her way to the UN Camp from the airstrip, where she was practically persona-non grata. I gave her a ride, I asked her if she needed anything, we talked a bit, then I dropped her off at the UN Camp gate. It was the last I saw of her. That was November 1993.

I flew her from UK to Australia in 1985 .... very different

Not in G-BIRT?

Yes, in GBIRT .... I've had that aircraft for over 30 years now .... never go anywhere without it.

Very different....what?

Different in that I was only dealing with weather, aeroplane, my inexperience and dodgy taxis. There were no African politicians, grey politics etc

Well RT, Emma was right in the middle of a war. A very terrible war that few outside the region knew much about. Everybody knew who their enemy was at any given time, by whom they were associated with. Emma put herself in the war by becoming the wife of the leader of a combat faction, but she did it for all the good reasons. I know that Emma wasn’t everybody’s favorite person, and she may not have played her hand very well, but she deserves to be honored for what she tried to do. That is how I will remember her. A heroine for children caught in the horror of war.

Yes, I'm not disagreeing.

Like I said, my trip was different.

She spoke of her trip with you RT. Her being so tall, I often wondered how uncomfortable it must have been for her. However she said that it was an "amazing" trip for her.

It was an "amazing" trip ... though I was quite conservative with time allowed, reasonably short legs etc. Flying in Africa is more .... edgy.

In those days we were both young and flexible enough to fold in quite well. She wasn't that tall - just tall for a girl. Robin seats are comfy.

Yeah I would say that six foot is tall for a girl. She six foot if an inch.

For the record I have put some photos of Emma's and my trip to Australia in 1985 here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wdh/al...57667022282972