Back when I was a flight attendant I worked a flight to Norfolk, Virgina. Several military men and women boarded our plane in Mississippi. It was the final leg of their journey home from Iraq. The civilian passengers were amazing. They kept approaching the men and women and offering their thanks for their duties and buying them drinks. One of the soldiers was going to meet his six-month-old baby for the first time. Another was planning a marriage proposal to his girlfriend. It was one of the most memorable flights of airline my career.
After we landed and the plane stopped at the gate the captain came over the PA system and asked the passengers to remain seated so our American soldiers could deplane first – just a little token of thanks. As the men and women proudly walked down the aisle in their crisp uniforms the entire plane broke into applause. It was a beautiful moment.
Today a friend of mine whose husband is in the military passed along a great link that shows another form of thanking those who serve in our military. It’s called The Gratitude Campaign and was created by Seattle’s Scott Truitt. Please watch this short 30-second film and as you make your way though the airports this summer, especially with the Fourth of July approaching, this little gesture will mean more to these men and women than you know.
