Posted on 11/20/2016 6:57:48 AM PST by KeyLargo
Gold Star family booed on flight as they headed to meet their soldier’s remains
Staff Sgt. John W. Perry, 30, of Stockton, Calif., died Nov. 12 of injuries sustained from an apparent suicide bomber in Bagram, Afghanistan. Department of Defense
Nicholas Filipas
The Record (Stockton, Calif.)
The father of a soldier who was killed last weekend in Afghanistan was disappointed and hurt after airline passengers booed him and his family as they flew to meet his son’s remains.
Stewart Perry, an ex-Marine who lives in Stockton, said the ordeal left him feeling disrespected.
“It was really disgusting on the passengers’ part,” he said Friday.
His son, Sgt. John W. Perry, was one of two killed in an explosion at a United States airbase on Nov. 12. He was honored at a memorial service in Lodi on Thursday and will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The Department of Defense said the blast also took the lives of two U.S. contractors working on the base. Sixteen other U.S. service members and one Polish soldier participating in a NATO mission were wounded.
Perry was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. He was at the base supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
An avid runner, he had been preparing to participate in a 5K run at the base in northeast Afghanistan as part of a post-Veterans Day activity to benefit disabled veterans.
Stewart Perry said he, his wife, Kathy, and daughter were flying on an American Airlines flight from Sacramento on Monday to Philadelphia, with a quick transfer in Phoenix. From Philadelphia, they traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive his son’s remains.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
You're right, it's an ambiguous phrase. It would be better had they said, "The family of one of our brave, soldiers."
And that they brought President Trump into it ....
Which makes them new tools and darlings of very very bad people at a time of great vulnerability for them
Yes, that part is curious.
The father is angry and deep down, he us terrified of life without his son
He needs a cause on which to focus his anger and keep his son alive
Doesn’t have to be rational
We’ve seen this before
Been there
This is way out of character for Americans which is why the story gives pause for verification of what really happened...
Correct
Yes, to have that loss, then on top of a long trip home have a delay and booing about it, would have been too much for anybody.
OMG. What world am I living in?
Elite liberals in First Class showing how classless they were!
The Sacramento Bee should get the airline to release the names of the first class passengers on that flight and publish the list. It will be all over the Internet within minutes ...
I call bs on the father here. I live in probably the most liberal infested area of the country, that being the NY Metropolitan area, and have never experienced inappropriate public behavior towards the military. I highly doubt there was booing as he says. Perhaps a jerk or two grumbled about the delay, but im far more apt to believe that people would encourage and even make way for him than do what he said.
ARMY TIMES
Gold Star father urges compassion after airplane passengers boo family
By: Charlsy Panzino, November 18, 2016 (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Stewart Perry)
The father of a soldier who was killed in a deadly attack in Afghanistan told Army Times that he and his family were booed by their fellow passengers as they flew to meet his son’s remains at Dover Air Force Base.
Stewart Perry and his wife and daughter on Monday flew from Sacramento to Philadelphia, with a layover in Phoenix. From Philadelphia, they took ground transportation to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Sgt. John Perry was killed when a suicide bomber detonated his vest on Saturday on Bagram Airfield. Pfc. Tyler Iubelt and two American contractors were also killed in the attack. Sixteen American and one Polish service member were wounded.
The American Airlines flight from Sacramento was delayed, leaving about 45 minutes behind schedule, according to Stewart Perry, and time was running out for the family to make their connecting flight in Phoenix.
When the plane arrived in Arizona, the captain announced that everyone was to remain seated to allow the Perry family to leave first.
“When he made that announcement, there was some hissing and some booing behind us,” said Perry, who was sitting in first class.
Perry, a Marine veteran, doesn’t remember the captain telling everyone the reason they had to wait, but he said he does recall the captain mentioning “military personnel.”
“I believe that the passengers knew there was a Gold Star family on board,” he said. “The woman sitting directly behind us touched me on the shoulder and asked if I was the father of the soldier killed in Afghanistan.”
That leads Perry to believe some kind of announcement was made before he and his family sat down.
“It was very disappointing,” he said. “It’s just enough to put you over the edge.”
The incident was first reported by CBS Sacramento.
“When the plane arrived in Arizona, the captain announced that everyone was to remain seated to allow the Perry family to leave first.
“When he made that announcement, there was some hissing and some booing behind us,” said Perry, who was sitting in first class.
Perry, a Marine veteran, doesn’t remember the captain telling everyone the reason they had to wait, but he said he does recall the captain mentioning “military personnel.”
“I believe that the passengers knew there was a Gold Star family on board,” he said. “The woman sitting directly behind us touched me on the shoulder and asked if I was the father of the soldier killed in Afghanistan.”
That leads Perry to believe some kind of announcement was made before he and his family sat down.
“It was very disappointing,” he said. “It’s just enough to put you over the edge.”
A shame there are people flying on our American domestic airlines that disrespect America and Americans. I wish I was on that flight, I would have a few choice words for those passengers. I fly all the time, too much really, and have never seen anything similar. Actually, whenever a service member is recognized, passengers are openly appreciative. (I fly Delta, which isn’t the cheapest, most often seated in first class because of my mileage status.)
Surprise, surprise...
The SacBee left out the father’s anti-Trump rant.
I was hoping to find information as to whether or not there was going to be flag line.
Stockton is only 90 minutes away from our little hamlet. I was hoping to get some NorCal FReepers to participate.
As follow-up, has anyone seen or read confirmation? Seems that all of the information is from the family. Not questioning that it did or did not happen, but getting 3rd party confirmation would be helpful. I guess SacBee is not into journalism, not interested in this?
I’d say:
“He even died for cowards”
Californians are the most disgusting subset of our population. They seem to be intrinsically selfish and self centered.
The are like the boll weevil — they come, despoil and leave (taking their gains) to despoil the next place. Behind they leave chaos and a twisted political philosophy.
We need an additional wall. This one around California.
I read some of the comments and I just want to make a point.
Without regard to the efficacy of the story,there is one thing that should have happened:
The passengers should have been informed fully why they were being further-delayed. This should have come from the pilot.
Absent that, I think many here might have considered asking the pilot to use the intercom to thank all the passengers if you were the parent of the fallen.
Those prescient enough to read between the lines of my comment will get my drift, as it would have made this a non-story for a further 30-second delay and, frankly, something for which I would have happily missed my connecting flight.
There is nothing more powerful in combatting ignorance than the truth; sometimes you just have to stick their faces in it, in this case politely IMHO.
“Interesting. In an earlier version of this story, The Sac-of-crap-Bee quoted the father as chastising Donald Trump for criticizing the Khan family.”
I don’t think that Mr. Perry “chastised Donald Trump.” But, rather the grief and plea of a fallen soldier’s father for Americans to respect servicemen and women for their service.
However, the Left will insure that Mr. Perry’s words about Gold Star Families will be all that is seen or heard.
This is what Mr. Perry said;
FOX 12 Oregon
“Stewart Perry said he wants Americans, including president-elect Donald Trump, to respect the men and women who give their lives for the country.
The experience has made Perry push back against protests that he sees as disrespectful to the military, including those directed at the American flag.
“It’s not for protests, it’s for the death of the people who are saving us,” Perry said. “That’s what it’s there for.”
Perry also singled out the 2016 presidential election as an example of that problem.
“One example would be Donald Trump speaking about a Gold Star family, who I now am, and is also bothers me that people don’t want to talk about the terrorism that killed my son,” Perry son. “And my kid was over there to help put a stop to this garbage, and he died.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.