Family of Fallen Soldier Booed on Flight to Bring Home His Body
Gold Star Family Says They Were Booed Leaving Flight https://t.co/m8yIO41nBV
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 22, 2016
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Fox News – The Gold Star family of a California soldier who recently gave his life in Afghanistan was booed as they exited a flight on their way to Dover Air Force Base, Trace Gallagher reported.
US Army Sergeant John Perry was killed in a suicide attack inside Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan earlier this year.
Stewart Perry was flying in coach, along with his wife and daughter, to accept his son’s remains at the Delaware installation.
The Perrys were jeered by and subjected to inappropriate remarks from First Class passengers as they disembarked the first leg of their trip. ….
The crew of the American Airlines flight made an announcement that all other passengers were to remain seated so that a “special military family” could leave first– in order to catch their connecting flight to Philadelphia on time.
Stewart Perry said that “hear[ing] the reaction of the flight being delayed because of a Gold Star Family and the First Class cabin booing was really upsetting and made us cry even more.”
Like most of you, my only experience of being in First Class is passing through without stopping on my way to being penned up like a veal calf into my cheap seat back in coach. So I ask this rhetorically: Is there some reason they wouldn’t understand what “a special military family” means? Is there some sort of First Class culture where you become so spoiled by the pampering that you can’t look into the eyes of a grieving family and see that a piece of their soul that just died? Died defending your freedom to eat ribeye and sip champagne without being blown out of the sky? Or is it as simple as announcements on planes don’t get piped into First Class because they don’t want to disturb the peaceful slumber of the swells sitting up front?
I ask because I want to believe that this just isn’t possible. That in America of 2016 we’re not so beyond hope that we’ll boo the family of a fallen warrior like the flight is on its way to the Westborough Baptist Bible Camp. I just can’t wrap by brain around the idea that we’ll put up with Comfort Ducks on a plane, but not wait two minutes for the people who raised a hero to catch their connecting flight with dignity. As screwed up and degenerate as we are, I refuse to accept we’re this irredeemable. Please, tell me I’m right.
Regardless, this story is probably already the lead on every pro-ISIS site with the headline “Wealthy Americans Boo Family of Infidel Killed Gloriously by Brave Jihadist.” So thanks for that, assholes.
RIP, Sgt. Perry. And heartfelt condolences to the Perry family.