Nice to be appreciated!
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Nice to be appreciated!
Doesn't apply to the Brits who I think are the majority here, but this is a story I found on US servicemen being given R&R or emergency leave back to the States from Iraq. They get 14 days leave and are dumped at one of 3 major hub airports then are expected to pay their own way home from there because Congress hasn't approved that part of the funding (sounds like MOD!). However, a Congressman Ruppersberger (honest, that's his name) has set up a scheme called "hero miles" where US people can donate their air miles to help get the troops the rest of the way home. I've searched the Urban Myth sites and it appears to be genuine so, here's the story:
From the net...courtesy of Hal Glassman...
The writer and his wife live in LA and both work for Uncle Sam.
A Day at Baltimore Airport
Dear Friends and Family,
"I hope that you will spare me a few minutes of your time to tell you about something that I saw on Monday, October 27.
I had been attending a conference in Annapolis and was coming home on Sunday. As you may recall, Los Angeles International Airport was closed on Sunday, October 26, because of the fires that affected air traffic control. Accordingly, my flight, and many others, were canceled and I wound up spending a night in Baltimore.
My story begins the next day. When I went to check in at the United counter Monday morning I saw a lot of soldiers home from Iraq. Most were very young and all had on their desert camouflage uniforms. This was as change from earlier, when they had to buy civilian clothes in Kuwait to fly home. It was a visible reminder that we are in a war. It probably was pretty close to what train terminals were like in World War II.
Many people were stopping the troops to talk to them, asking them questions in the Starbucks line or just saying “Welcome Home.” In addition to all the flights that had been canceled on Sunday, the weather was terrible in Baltimore and the flights were backed up. So, there were a lot of unhappy people in the terminal trying to get home, but nobody that I saw gave the soldiers a bad time.
By the afternoon, one plane to Denver had been delayed several hours. United personnel kept asking for volunteers to give up their seats and take another flight. They weren’t getting many takers. Finally, a United spokeswoman got on the PA and said this, “Folks. As you can see, there are a lot of soldiers in the waiting area. They only have 14 days of leave and we’re trying to get them where they need to go without spending any more time in an airport then they have to. We sold them all tickets, knowing we would oversell the flight. If we can, we want to get them all on this flight. We want all the soldiers to know that we respect what you’re doing, we are here for you and we love you.”
At that, the entire terminal of cranky, tired, travel-weary people, a cross-section of America, broke into sustained and heartfelt applause. The soldiers looked surprised and very modest. Most of them just looked at their boots. Many of us were wiping away tears.
And, yes, people lined up to take the later flight and all the soldiers went to Denver on that flight.
That little moment made me proud to be an American, and also told me why we will win this war.
If you want to send my little story on to your friends and family, feel free. This is not some urban legend. I was there, I was part of it, I saw it happen."
Will Ross
Administrative Judge
United States Department of Defense
From the net...courtesy of Hal Glassman...
The writer and his wife live in LA and both work for Uncle Sam.
A Day at Baltimore Airport
Dear Friends and Family,
"I hope that you will spare me a few minutes of your time to tell you about something that I saw on Monday, October 27.
I had been attending a conference in Annapolis and was coming home on Sunday. As you may recall, Los Angeles International Airport was closed on Sunday, October 26, because of the fires that affected air traffic control. Accordingly, my flight, and many others, were canceled and I wound up spending a night in Baltimore.
My story begins the next day. When I went to check in at the United counter Monday morning I saw a lot of soldiers home from Iraq. Most were very young and all had on their desert camouflage uniforms. This was as change from earlier, when they had to buy civilian clothes in Kuwait to fly home. It was a visible reminder that we are in a war. It probably was pretty close to what train terminals were like in World War II.
Many people were stopping the troops to talk to them, asking them questions in the Starbucks line or just saying “Welcome Home.” In addition to all the flights that had been canceled on Sunday, the weather was terrible in Baltimore and the flights were backed up. So, there were a lot of unhappy people in the terminal trying to get home, but nobody that I saw gave the soldiers a bad time.
By the afternoon, one plane to Denver had been delayed several hours. United personnel kept asking for volunteers to give up their seats and take another flight. They weren’t getting many takers. Finally, a United spokeswoman got on the PA and said this, “Folks. As you can see, there are a lot of soldiers in the waiting area. They only have 14 days of leave and we’re trying to get them where they need to go without spending any more time in an airport then they have to. We sold them all tickets, knowing we would oversell the flight. If we can, we want to get them all on this flight. We want all the soldiers to know that we respect what you’re doing, we are here for you and we love you.”
At that, the entire terminal of cranky, tired, travel-weary people, a cross-section of America, broke into sustained and heartfelt applause. The soldiers looked surprised and very modest. Most of them just looked at their boots. Many of us were wiping away tears.
And, yes, people lined up to take the later flight and all the soldiers went to Denver on that flight.
That little moment made me proud to be an American, and also told me why we will win this war.
If you want to send my little story on to your friends and family, feel free. This is not some urban legend. I was there, I was part of it, I saw it happen."
Will Ross
Administrative Judge
United States Department of Defense
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Could anyone see or, indeed, have they seen this type of thing happening for Brit servicemen at, for example, Heathrow?
Nope, didn't think so.
But feel free to prove me wrong!
Nope, didn't think so.
But feel free to prove me wrong!
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
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I agree Jockspice.
The silence amongst waiting passengers would speak volumes.
I find Brits the most snobby, unhelpful people on the face of this earth (maybe the French may be up there too!)
Precisely the reason why I will be leaving this country with my North American wife the second my time in is up.
I love America me, it's ace !!
The silence amongst waiting passengers would speak volumes.
I find Brits the most snobby, unhelpful people on the face of this earth (maybe the French may be up there too!)
Precisely the reason why I will be leaving this country with my North American wife the second my time in is up.
I love America me, it's ace !!
And what flag do you have tattooed on your big chest FFP? 
Personally most of the French I have run into have proven much friendlier than the average Brit.
Me thinks you are upset about the Rugby !!
Patriotism isn't such a bad thing. The UK could learn a thing or two from the US of A....
Personally most of the French I have run into have proven much friendlier than the average Brit.
Me thinks you are upset about the Rugby !!
Patriotism isn't such a bad thing. The UK could learn a thing or two from the US of A....
Nice to be Appreciated
The backlog of flights on 9/11 at gatwick and Heathrow caused many people to spend days in the terminalas all the hotels quickly became full.
Friends of ours who live near Crawley went to Gatwick Airport and window shopped for house guests. They offered a room to a elderly American couple who looked like they needed a break from sitting on their luggage...
The American couple cried with joy...
We would have done the same only we had toddlers and a small fridge... but I doubt that we would have chosen someone as a house guest who was wearing combat fatigues. Thats a wee scary for us Surrrey folk.
Mickjoebill
Friends of ours who live near Crawley went to Gatwick Airport and window shopped for house guests. They offered a room to a elderly American couple who looked like they needed a break from sitting on their luggage...
The American couple cried with joy...
We would have done the same only we had toddlers and a small fridge... but I doubt that we would have chosen someone as a house guest who was wearing combat fatigues. Thats a wee scary for us Surrrey folk.
Mickjoebill
