The first class pricks were most definitely Hillary voters.
STOCKTON, Calif.- The father of a soldier who was killed last weekend in Afghanistan was disappointed and hurt after airline passengers booed him and his family as they flew to meet his son’s remains.
Stewart Perry, an ex-Marine who lives in Stockton, said the ordeal left him feeling disrespected.
“It was really disgusting on the passengers’ part,” he said Friday.
His son, Sgt. John W. Perry, was one of two killed in an explosion at a United States airbase on Nov. 12. He was honored at a memorial service in Lodi on Thursday and will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
John Perry, 30, and Pfc. Tyler R. Iubelt of Tamaroa, Ill., died from their injuries after the attack by an apparent suicide bomber at Bagram Airfield.
The Department of Defense said the blast also took the lives of two U.S. contractors working on the base. Sixteen other U.S. service members and one Polish soldier participating in a NATO mission were wounded.
Perry was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. He was at the base supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
An avid runner, he had been preparing to participate in a 5K run at the base in northeast Afghanistan as part of a post-Veterans Day activity to benefit disabled veterans.
Stewart Perry said he, his wife, Kathy, and daughter were flying on an American Airlines flight from Sacramento on Monday to Philadelphia, with a quick transfer in Phoenix. From Philadelphia, they traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive his son’s remains.
For unknown reasons, Perry said, the flight to Phoenix was 45 minutes late. The crew feared the delay might cause the Perrys miss their connecting flight.
So, when the plane landed in Phoenix, the captain made an announcement for all passengers to remain seated and to let a “special military family” exit the aircraft first, Perry said.
Several passengers in first class began to boo and complain, Perry said.
“Some people were saying ‘This is just baloney,’ and ‘I paid for first-class for this?’ ”
He said American Airlines “did everything they could” to accommodate his family.
Perry and his family made their connecting flight, and the pilot in Phoenix stayed at the gate for 40 minutes to make sure they made it on board.
Perry said he does not know if the passengers from Sacramento knew there was a Gold Star family on board, nor does he know if there was a similar reaction from people sitting in coach.
“It was just disgusting behavior from people in first class; it was terrible to see,” Perry said. “You could see the disappointment from the flight crew.”
The real focus, Perry said, should be on the heroics of his son. The husband and father of two young children died a hero.
“He made a decision that saved a lot of people,” Perry said. “I was told that he was found protecting a female soldier. … He didn’t get to live a full life, but he lived.”
…the same type of people spit on us returning Vietnam veterans…
I wish I had been on that flight…the jail time would have been worth it…
“…the same type of people spit on us returning Vietnam veterans…”
I wore my uniform PLENTY of times at airports and other public places from 1971-1975. I have, not once – not ever, been spit upon. Neither did I hear of any of my friends encountering such behavior. Once in a while I’d get a sideways-look, but that was about it. Mostly, I was ignored … just another traveler. I’ve always thought that story was just that …. a false story.
But, hey, that’s MY experience. I cannot speak for you, or others.
Three of you down voters are complete and total FUCKING ASSHOLES.
My story above is just that … MY story, which I acknowledged as such. There is nothing offensive or controversial about it. I simply was never spit upon, or even harassed, when I was in uniform in public.
But, I guess that doesn’t fit with the Lemming Mentality so often prevalent here. My story doesn’t fit your Special Snowflake View-Of-The-World, so you three nutless whores decide to cast a down vote.
You fucken cowards. I really wish you three pieces of dogshit would reveal your names so that I can forever and evermore ignore you.
People are down voting douchebag cowards.
I think it might depend where you were. My dad graduated high school in RI, he went to West Point, his HS gf went to Brown. After a few months away he became a fascist baby killer in her eyes and they broke up.
Saw this yesterday; really ticked me off. Wish I could have been in the 1st class cabin when that happened.
Too bad the pilot didn’t give a better explanation. OTOH. fuck those 1st class scum that think they are privileged.
“fuck those 1st class scum that think they are privileged.”
Well, my friend, they ARE privileged in terms of the special privileges associated with flying first class. Methinks thou art showing thy jealousy.
That being said …. FUCK THOSE COCKSUCKERS!!! I would like to think that I’d be joining anarchyst in his jail cell.
“Saw this yesterday; really ticked me off. Wish I could have been in the 1st class cabin when that happened.”
What would you have done ?
No idea….things happen at the spur of the moment.
“I was told that he was found protecting a female soldier.”
Why should that matter?
And after a careful reading it appears that it was simply entitled first class passengers upset that someone from coach was getting off the aircraft first, not that it was Gold Star family.
I remember pretty little hippy girls throwing dog turds at returning ‘Nam Vets getting off commercial flights from Hawaii to California. Even back then I realized they should have been in Washington throwing turds at our congress critters who sent us over there in the first place.
A grieving family should be respected whether their loved one died of old age, in combat or the electric chair.
I’m sure if the 1st class passengers knew the reason they would have been quiet and respectful. I also doubt the returning vets being spit on story. I was in the infantry once and I was in damn good shape at the time. Someone spit on me they had better be able to bring it on and good or they would be in a world of hurt!
Unit: I was in The Corps from ’69-’72 and while that never happened to me a couple of guys I served with said it did happen to them; both incidents occurred while walking through the SFO terminal.
Can I say here that I am pretty tired of all these “stars”? The Blue Star Moms, the Gold Star families, etc.? This is just a way to put nice-y nice frosting on the giant stinking bloody turd that is the senseless violence of an imperial war machine which is apparently no longer under civilian control.
Hey, your kid got blown up for no good reason.. have a Gold Star! Woo hoo!
I don’t respect these people and their families any more than I respect anyone else. They made poor choices on bad advice, many of them with their backs against the wall (for example, “enlist or go to jail”… I’m lookin’ at *you*, Track Palin).
[That said, I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to boo them, and the explanation that people just didn’t understand the situation is most likely.]
Was reading this on zerohedge and is it just me or are the trolls multiplying on there? It would seem the SJW troll squad is taking a bigger interest in it.
My brother-in-law was a ‘nam vet. Upon his return (SFO) in uniform (required at the time), he was spat upon and called names.
So it did happen. I’m quite sure that it happened to some and not to others. If you escaped that, you were lucky.
I’m still angry at the morons who did this. They should have spat upon the politicians, not hapless soldiers.