How to say goodbye.

[Foss]

Just a little something I thought cabin crew might be interested in.
I'm into history.
In a book called 'Vietnam, The definitive oral history from all sides' I am reading at the minute about how a hostie dealt with American soldiers going to Vietnam.
Her quote is 'I was their wife, their sister, their girlfriend.'
This was in 1966 and 67.
She read letters that soldiers had written home, final letters, to check they made sense.
They were escorted by F-4 Phantoms mostly, this is an airline jet, but she doesn't say what type.
But the bit that got me is that she said she never said goodbye, or goodluck. Like you get. It was always see you later.
She also talks about all the other stewardesses crying because the aeroplanes doing a return were coming back empty. Because the troops were either dead or wounded.
Thought you might be interested. It's only about five pages in a book.
But it was very touching.
ISBN 0091910110
Fos
I'll head back to jet blast now and leave you guys alone.

[DJTibby]

wow that is very sad and touching, It reminds me of a doco I once saw about the old aboriginal culture. Apparently when someone is leaving they never say goodbye, because to them that means they won't ever see them again, it's always see you later etc (but not in english of coarse). When i saw that I thought it was a nice idea, goodbye does sound like you will never see them again, so when i see people off i try too say "see you later" etc.

[Foss]

Maybe they were all busy fighting the war????

Jees really, didn't think of that, mmm, could be you have a point.

I was quoting what this woman said in a book, because it might have some interest to people working on airlines. If you want to go through it piece by piece, write to the publishers.

Isn't that as much a jinx as saying goodbye???

It was her words about 'seeing you later', but how exactly is that as bad a jinx exactly. You've lost me there.

Charming post, well done.
Fos