I was in uniform and on my 100 mile commute from the graveyard shift at my Air Force duty station when I came by an IGA supermarket. It was just about midnight when I pulled into the parking lot, hopeful that I could find something to eat. I hadn’t had anything to eat other than some breakfast rolls at the hotel the previous morning, so I was getting more than a little hungry. As luck would have it, the store manager had already locked the doors for the night, so I turned away and started walking back to the car in disappointment. Everything was closed the rest of the way home, even the gas stations. I was happily interrupted in those thoughts when the store owner/manager ccalled out to me and invited me into his store. He helped me find a snack to keep me going. When I tried to pay for the food, he refused to accept payment. We had a conversation about his military experiences, and I thanked him very appreciatively before letting him close the store and go home to his family. This event was very much appreciated after the cold shoulder being experienced while in uniform all too often in the Vietnam era. Our commanders often warned us about the personal anti-military attacks we were to expect and how to respond to them without causing disrepute to the service.
On another occasion I was aboard a B-727 TWA flight out of Los Angeles headed eastbound. Budget car rental had given me a problem refusing to rent to military under the age of about 25 with or without a credit card, so I was not too happy with the hassles encountered in this trip. After we were airborne and at cruising altitude, a stewardess (they weren’t addressed as flight attendants yet) came down the aisle and mysteriously asked me to leave my seat and follow her. She led me forward to the First Class seats just aft of the cockpit and put me in one of those seats all by myself. They had fun bringing me some great drinks and a first class meal! The stewardess explained how the captain-pilot had given the order to bring me forward to the First Class seating. The hassles of the trip were quickly forgotten, but the memories of the kindness of that TWA flight crew were never forgotten and much appreciated in the later years when I chose TWA flights in preference to the other airlines.
Although the offer of a First Class upgrade was not repeated, I did run into another unusual situation on a flight out of Los Angeles. My seatmate in Coach Class was an attractive young lady. We were having a good time as we jetted across Arizona and the Sun was setting outside our window. She raised the chair arm separating us, scooted over, and snuggled in real close like a long lost girlfriend happy to be with her boyfriend in uniform. The stewardess assumed we were a couple and treated us as such. After about the fist hour of this trip, she held me tight and went to sleep. After arriving at our destination, we said our goodbyes and made our separate ways to the baggage carousels. As I was walking down the airport concourse, I noticed her overtake me from behind and I was prepared to smile and say hello to her, but never got the opportunity. She went right by me without giving any sign of recognition, which was confusing until a few moments later, when the reason became all too obvious. Ahead of me she jumped into the arms of her husband and hugged her children waiting for her on the concourse.
Military discounts are an honor only when they are not an entitlement. Anyone in the military who thinks they should be entitled to a discount should consider how they dishonor themselves and the service by demanding what former members of the military must sacrifice from their own businesses and families in order to honor those who followed them.
Thank you for your post, I enjoyed reading it. I had my share of good memories too, during the 80s. I admit I didn’t always feel appreciated by civilians when I was in, until I realized they didn’t owe me anything. Once I learned that, I was a lot more thankful when I did receive something nice, whether it was a discount or a nice word. I think the only place I really wanted a discount was at the cleaners, since I used them so much for my dress uniforms, and that was never an issue since every cleaners outside the gates offered discounts.
I WAS shocked, and a bit disappointed when I read that thread this morning and saw how many Soldiers had that “civilians owe me this and that” attitude. I guess it’s just a sign of the times.