Posted on 11/28/2003 12:39:06 PM PST by 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.
Like I said, I don't have too many regrets. At my unit, the kids hold me in awe, and that actually helps train them - they pay closer attention to a guy who's worn railroad tracks at their age.
I also help by mentoring the young officers, and the cadets. The OCS sponsors ask for me every time, because I speak both languages. I figure that, maybe I can stand as an example, of how not to screw up and lose your rank. (G)
I've been offered Warrant, and that offer's still on the table. But there's too much to do now.
At the Command Center, I assist the mobilizations and alerts, the emergency call-ups, and provide a Guard presence in the Ops Center when there's trouble. And, that's what people forget. Operation Noble Eagle keeps on going, with the homeland security jobs, the governor assists, and all the other little missions that pop up right here at home.
Find out. Ask. Volunteer. We're glad to have you.
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