Posted on 02/25/2005 10:00:03 AM PST by Cat loving Texan
Commentary: John Kelso They really are supporting our troops out at the airport
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, February 25, 2005
A lot of people blow smoke about supporting our troops, but Sharon Somoskey-Perez, who works at the City of Austin's information booth at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, really is doing something about it.
When a soldier passing through the airport shows up at the booth in the baggage claim area and needs a ride to Fort Hood, she gets on the PA system and finds him one.
Works every time, Sharon says. She figures she's done this at least 50 times in the past 3 1/2 months, and never once has she failed to get somebody to take a trooper the 70 miles or so north to the Army post.
"It's been absolutely heartwarming, and all you have to do is ask," Sharon said. "I think that is the beautiful thing. I remember the first time I did it. I thought, 'Oh my God, what if nobody comes to the desk?' And there were, like, five offers -- just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom."
It's a simple act of kindness that shows what Austinites are really like, and it transcends how you feel about the war in Iraq. See, it's not easy getting from the Austin airport up to Killeen. You can take a Greyhound bus, but to get to the bus station on Koenig Lane, you have to hop on a $12 shuttle at the airport and ride across town. And the bus schedule to Killeen is sketchy. One leaves at 3:30 p.m.; the next one heads out at 12:30 a.m.
So if you land at the airport at 4 in the afternoon, you've got a major wait.
This is where Sharon comes in. "This is our way to make sure they get there on time at little to no cost," she said. "You know, these guys don't make a whole lot of money, and that's the least we can do for 'em."
Some of the people who give the troops a lift go out of their way, Sharon said. Some of these people weren't even headed to the Fort Hood-Killeen area.
"Some have had sons or husbands who are still in the military -- and just ordinary citizens who come up and shake their hands and say, 'I'll be glad to give you a ride. Thanks for serving,' " Sharon said.
Then there was the woman who spent extra money to take two soldiers to Fort Hood. She was renting a car to go visit her son in Killeen who had just gotten out of the Army.
"She heard the announcement at car rental and she got a larger car," Sharon said. "She went from a compact car to an Excursion."
Sharon recalls the couple who offered to pay for a cab for a soldier all the way to Killeen if he couldn't find another way to get there. A cab to Killeen, she said, runs about $160. "The outpouring of the citizens has been just so rewarding to me."
The soldiers are attracted to the booth by the "Welcome Home U.S. Armed Forces" banner at the desk. "They come up and say, 'Is this the USO?' and we say, 'No, how can we help you?' " Some are coming back from Iraq. Some just got out of boot camp and are headed to their first duty station.
"It's that lost look," Sharon said. "And some of them are so young -- soooo young. I kind of want to take 'em under my wing, as my co-workers do."
Jack Minor, who lives in South Austin, was out at the airport last week when he saw Sharon in action. A soldier carrying a big duffel bag walked up to the desk and asked about getting to Fort Hood. He was told he'd just missed the bus.
Sharon "just said, 'Wait a minute, maybe I can find you a ride,' " Jack said. "She just went over there and got on the PA system. It was a nice announcement. She said, 'We've got a serviceman here who needs a ride to the Killeen-Fort Hood area, and if you can give him a ride, come over to the information desk and we can introduce you.' "
Soon after, Jack said, a woman showed up at the desk, saying her husband was fixing to pick her up and they were headed to Fort Hood. And after that, Jack recalled, another person came to the desk to offer a ride. "He was a big old husky guy," Jack said. "He looked like a constable or a sheriff and he said, 'I can give that soldier a ride.' "
"I was touched by all the good will I saw," Jack said.
John Kelso's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 445-3606 or jkelso@statesman.com.
Thanks for posting this. I wanted to post this earlier, but have problems getting to the Statesman site today.
Great story!
Damn good story.
...Reminds me of the Anhauser-Busch (sp?)Super Bowl ad.
We can never forget that these people are special.
Someone should post this on DU! Make them pull what little hair they have out!
Hey people... you got to stop posting these do-gooder stories. Pretty soon, I'll be smiling all the time. Can't have that.
God Bless this woman and the ones that answer her calls.
And as always God Blessed Texas.
... and from the Statesman no less.
Great story....thanks for posting, and I have a question/request..since you're local, can you find an e-addy for the good lady in question?...I'm sure she'd enjoy getting e-mails of thanks, for her good efforts, from all over the country..
We just adopted a soldier through www.operationac.com and got our first email from him the other day. He said he was just home on leave, and he had been worried about how Americans would treat him, since he had a couple of uncles who served in Vietnam that were spit on when they came home. He said, "When we landed in Dallas everybody clapped and told us Thank you."
It's heartwarming to think about how these guys must feel when they see how much we apprecate them. (Kinda makes me sad that he would worry about people's reaction to him, though.)
I'll see if I can find that and post it later.
Reminds me of the Anhauser-Busch (sp?)Super Bowl ad.
I was at Sea World in Florida last week. They show that Super Bowl ad and do a real nice tribute to all service members before the start of the Shamu show. They even ask that all members of the military, current or retired, stand up for recognition by the crowd. It's a nice thing to experience and, something that they dont really have to do.
Don't think for one second that doing little things for our troops only affect them. Their families are appreciative as well.
Great story.
bump
Can't beat that Texas "we're all in this together" attitude!
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