Soldiers get special Thanksgiving treat at BWI Airport

Annapolis Capital ^ | Nov. 28, 2003 | Associated Press

[jackbill]

Lt. Christian Dietz, on his way to rejoin his unit in Iraq after two weeks R&R with his family in Washington Township, Mich., assumed he would miss Thanksgiving.

Lt. Dietz, 26, was walking to buy a sandwich at a fast food restaurant at BWI Airport yesterday when an employee from Southwest Airlines directed him to an employee's lounge. There Lt. Dietz and his fellow soldiers were given plates piled high with generous portions of turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings.

"This is great," said Lt. Dietz, of the 40th Engineering Battalion, as he worked on his food. "This is the sort of thing that makes you feel really appreciated."

Lt. Dietz's reaction was typical of the roughly 200 soldiers who joined Southwest Airlines employees on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Yeah, the food was good, said the soldiers. But what they really liked was the feeling that the public appreciated them.

"It started when I first got off the plane two weeks ago," said Spc. Carlos Rodriguez, 36, of Dorado, Puerto Rico, who serves with the First Armored Division. "People were clapping and cheering. They stopped us in the airport and told us what a great job we were doing. My father and uncle served in Vietnam and for them it was totally different."

"We do appreciate you," said Angelos Christopher, a Southwest Airlines employee who took time out from the hustle and bustle of the holiday traffic to eat with the soldiers. "Practically everyone in this company has somebody over there. We know what you're going through."

"God bless you," added Cliff Reynolds, another employee.

Mr. Reynolds described himself as a veteran who served during the Vietnam War. "We didn't have anything like this," he said.

Baltimore-Washington International has been a major way station for soldiers since late September when the military launched its largest R&R rotation program since the Vietnam War. Already a major military gateway for troops stationed overseas, the Linthicum airport now handles two flights a day - one arriving and one departing.

The soldiers, dressed in desert khakis and hoisting heavy rucksacks on their shoulders, have become a familiar sight to travelers and employees. The young men and women have inspired an outpouring of generosity. One traveler, standing at a Southwest ticket counter and seeing the troopers pass by, donated his frequent flier miles and a gift certificate to any soldier who needed it.

"That's the way it's been from Day One," said Mr. Christopher.

The troopers' accounts of their experiences in Iraq have been as varied as the soldiers themselves.

"It hurts going back. It's harder going back this time than it was when I first left," said Spc. Roberto Depiou, 23, of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Spc. Depiou, who said he has a baby on the way, said it took him almost a week to wind down from the tension of being in a war zone.

[jackbill]

As many of you are aware, early morning incoming flights are met by veterans and other volunteers, welcoming the troops.

[snippy_about_it]

bump and ping, this is great to hear.

[carpio]

Yeah, the food was good, said the soldiers. But what they really liked was the feeling that the public appreciated them.

Hoot Hoot!!! Way to SWA!!!

[river rat]

That's enough to make an old man cry..
God HAS blessed America..

Semper Fi

[VOA]

ping...

[Jean S]

This is wonderful. Thanks for posting it.

[Tamzee]

It's wonderful to see stories like this... our troops deserve every scrap of support and appreciation we can give them!

[armymarinemom]

God Bless these people and those who are coming to BWI to greet troops.

[VOA]

That's enough to make an old man cry..

Heck, this stuff gets to me enough just reading about it...
it makes me wonder how the Southwest employees at BWI are holding up.

If this ain't about a real "point of light", I don't know what is.
I can't help wondering if old Herb Kelleher (sp?), that one-of-a-kind guy who used to
lead the company hasn't shown up to help out...without a name-tag.

[MEG33]

Thank you to all the folks greeting and helping our troops.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks, snippy, jackbill. Y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We do appreciate you," said Angelos Christopher, a Southwest Airlines employee who took time out from the hustle and bustle of the holiday traffic to eat with the soldiers. "Practically everyone in this company has somebody over there. We know what you're going through."

"God bless you," added Cliff Reynolds, another employee.

Mr. Reynolds described himself as a veteran who served during the Vietnam War. "We didn't have anything like this," he said.

~~~~~~~~~~
Veterans and others at BWI airport giving aid and comfort to our heroes.

See also: 8 Veterans Welcome R&R-Bound Troops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blurry screen alert.

[SAMWolf]

NO more treating our Vets like they did to the Nam Vets!

[Allegra]

PING!

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" Mr. Reynolds described himself as a veteran who served during the Vietnam War. "We didn't have anything like this," he said.

Thanks to the anti war protestors,like John Kerry and his VVAW gang ,the NYT,the WaPo,CBS,NBC and ABC Nightly News.
A soldier serving with my brother in Iraq,was given permission to head out earlier than the rest of his unit,due to a sick child at home.This was a few months ago, before the military decided to pick up the tab to get soldiers to their final destination. At that time, they had to pay their own transportation costs to get from the gateway cities back home. The soldier was stuck in Atlanta and was short 100 for the plane ticket home.The airline said he could fly stand by at a discounted rate,space available-after they filled the seats with others who had been bumped or waitlisted .He was low man on the list.He waited and waited and flights left and he remained sitting in the waiting area, stranded,because he did not have the extra 100 for a full fare ticket .Finally,a man approached him,thanked him for his service and pressed a bill into his hands.He assumed it was a 5 dollar bill and was grateful that he had enough to buy a hamburger.What his fellow American pressed into his hand,was a crisp 100 dollar bill-which enabled him to buy a full fare ticket and get on the next flight,home to his sick child.I have always assumed that the generous American,was a Freeper.

[river rat]

"If this ain't about a real "point of light", I don't know what is.

Roger that!

If the "good folks" don't succeed in saving America - the "points of light" we see about us - will be from muzzle flashes.....

Semper Fi

[VOA]

"It hurts going back. It's harder going back this time than it was when I first left,"
said Spc. Roberto Depiou, 23, of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Spc. Depiou, who said he has
a baby on the way, said
it took him almost a week to wind down from the tension of being in a war zone.

In many articles, I'd see this as a jab at Dubya's job performance...but this time it's
different in my opinion.

speaking as a never-served, naive civilian...
It reminds us that someday these folks will be coming home and we're gonna' have to
inform ourselves about how to help folks "de-pressurize". Just because we got to
see that incredible sprint into Baghdad, it's sobering to understand that even if
only about 1 or 2 percent of patrols comes under fire...a soldier is always going
to have anxieties: will s/he be coming back from a patrol and will they be in one piece.

[dighton]

Great story, jackbill. Thank you.

[VOA]

What his fellow American pressed into his hand,was a crisp 100 dollar bill-which
enabled him to buy a full fare ticket and get on the next flight,home to his sick child.

When I heard (earlier) that they had to pay the last leg, I said "If I was a
lesser Bill Gates, I'd be at that airport with a wad of C-notes and cram a couple into the hand
of every soldier I could find."
Nice to hear someone had the means and desire to do it.

[blackie]

Soldiers get special Thanksgiving treat at BWI Airport ~ Bump!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

You just gotta LUV Southwest Airlines.