Posted on 11/06/2013 1:12:38 PM PST by bestintxas
Fourteen Marines on their way home from serving in Afghanistan were upgraded to first class on their flight from Chicago to San Diego.
The Marines learned that American Airlines - which has a policy to upgrade servicemen and women in uniform whenever possible - had six empty seats in first class for the group. That gesture was followed by seven first-class passengers who jumped out of their seats for the other Marines so they could sit together.
"It was incredibly touching," Capt. Pravin Rajan said in a telephone interview from Camp Pendleton in California. "Afghanistan is a very complex and ambiguous war ... and a difficult thing to keep track of so it is amazing when we are 10 years (into) a war and there is still that kind of community, that level of support, the level of willingness to go out of one's way."
The welcome home started with a phone call. Stephanie Hare, a native of Illinois who now works in England, called the USO at O'Hare and explained that her fiance, Rajan, who had served seven months in Afghanistan, was with a dozen other Marines on a plane bound for Chicago from Baltimore.
"I just thought if they could get them some Chicago pizza, champagne or something, that would mean a lot," she said.
On the other end of the line was John Colas, a 74-year-old former Marine USO volunteer. He told Hare he'd try to do something in the hour or so before the flight landed. But he cautioned that while volunteers make an effort to welcome military personnel whenever they come through the airport, he wasn't sure he could pull anything off in such a short time.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
So I sit down in coach next to another oil and gas guy. A lady behind me leans over and says, you just switched seats with that army guy didn't you? I said, no big deal, but she says, I have these drink coupons so let me buy you a drink, what’ll you have? I told her Sky vodka and started to talking to the oil and gas guy. Well apparently she was traveling with a group - all of whom had drink tickets, so not long after we got airborne I had Sky bottles lined up all the way across my seat-back tray. Wouldn't you know the oil and gas guy was a practicing Muslim and didn't drink. So I'm doing my best to get through the Sky when here comes the business class flight attendant with a tumbler full of iced vodak and apologies for taking so long to get to me. Thank the Lord I had a ride at the airport. I never got to talk to the soldier but I figure I owe some grunt a drink after that trip.
Nice to see that there are still good and decent folks in this world! Have been wondering...
Wow! Great story!
That's the part I really like.
I recall a time in Chicago when I tried to pay for a table of soldiers who looked fresh back from the sandbox. The lady at the register got this big grin on her face and said, "Well, sir, only if the other two opt out." "Wha?" I asked. "You're third in line to pay for their meal." I think I got a bigger kick out of that than the troopers did.
I second the Captain’s comments on how impressed he is at the level of support 10 years on.
As a former 200,000 mile/year business traveler, I did similar things for our troops because:
1) it is the right thing to do and
2) for the time my brother in law was spat upon coming home from VN through Oakland and SeaTac in 1966.
That cabbie needs to be shamed and shunned.
Me too. I just quietly slip the server my credit card and tell them to put their tabs on me.
On my last Southwest flight (second leg from Portland, OR to Nashville) we got to 35,000 feet and the pilot came on the speaker and announced “I’ve turned off the seatbelt signs. We have four soldiers heading home from overseas sitting in the rear. Say hi to them when you can”.
Of course, taking our cue when the seatbelt lights went off, we all stood up and applauded. I saw grown men cry, including me.
“...I usually make a point of thanking them for their service and then paying and leaving...”
I do the same, but pay/tip on the QT on my way out, so they don’t know it was me. I didn’t state it correctly; sorry.
I donate to USO and Purple Heart Service Foundation, among others.
God Bless you and your wife.
When i returned from my all expense paid trip to sunny Southeast Asia, I wore my dress blues and took my girlfriend to a nice restaurant, when the waiter brought what i thought was the check.........the little leather binder thingy contained a note instead, “ Thank you for your service Marine, dinner is on me, only one condition..YOU must return the kindness tenfold before you go to guard the streets of Heaven..and include this verbiage”
Over the years my wife and i have done this dozens of times,BECAUSE IT`S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
Once you’re a big bird you don’t have to work your way up anymore. Hence you can be a little less cutthroat. I do suppose though personality has a big part in it. If you’re a real hardcore asshole as a lieutenant, you could be a real huge asshole as a general, as a person. The ones who know when they need to be a hardass and when they don’t, are probably the ones they really want to get up there in command cause they can work with people the way they need to be worked. Some need a hard hand, some can get by on a looser grip and do excellent work.
Also, it depends on if you’re really a military guy, or a political guy. The dicks are the political guys.
I’ll remember to do that
Nice story and general
Probably would be canned today by Obama as he hates that kind of leadership
What a fabulous story.....sniff......
OMG....sniff again!
Roger, that!
Indeed. Kudos to all of them!
The USO is always a good organization to donate to. Most of the funds go right back to the troops. And the volunteers work their a$$e$ off (yes, I am a USO volunteer)By the way, you can give to a regional USO, not necessarily the national office. For instance, I volunteer with Liberty USO, which covers southern NJ and Penna (including Philly Airport, where many families come through when meeting their loved ones remains at Dover) You could donate directly to them, or whichever is closest to you.
You know, I recall years ago when I was at gate taking a flight out that I noticed a guy in fatigues waiting to get on. I talked to him a bit and found out he was returning from overseas duty.
I made up my mind to exchange my first class upgrade for a coach seat so he could travel first and asked the jetway attendant to arrange it.
The airline attendant told me that she could not.Wish I could recall what airline it was.
I was mad on that day and still am.
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