A passenger on a Delta flight to Hatsfield-Jackson International airport learned that Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, one of the Green Berets killed earlier this month in Niger, was on board the flight. Pamela Gaudry wished to honor the fallen by singing the national anthem with fellow passengers while the casket was being taken off the flight.
She was told by a Delta flight attendant that it was against company policy. The passengers were instructed to remain seated and quiet when they arrived at their destination.
“I’m humiliated by my lack of courage to sing the national anthem in my own country on American soil, with a deceased soldier on the plane…”, Doctor Gaudry said in the video she posted onFacebook. More
Delta now claims it has no such policy and has stated that it will train its employees on how to handle these situations in the future.
Need to rename that aircraft, “Spirit of Suppression.”
The proper way to behave is to stand silently and reverentially until the casket is out of sight; if in uniform, salute. Singing anything, even the National Anthem, would detract from the solemnity of the occasion.
Made me tear up.
Having been on the tarmac as the flag draped casket of one of my stepsons was coming out of the cargo bay of a plane, I can tell you that hearing the National Anthem would have been most inappropriate. The airline’s ground crew formed a detail that stood silently and reverently as the grief and love poured out….both from my wife sobbing over that casket, and his dad/stepmom doing the same thing. All this while his brothers, both active duty, stood at attention beside the casket. Words simply cannot describe the emotions at that moment.
I am sure the intentions were straight from the heart, but there is a time and place and that is neither.
“Taking Chance” is a good movie about a military escort accompanying a fallen soldier to his hometown. A very solemn journey.
I think Doctor Gaudry’s deceased husband would be proud of her, the compassion and respect she has for the fallen and their families who have experienced this heart breaking sacrifice is commendable.
In that light, I suspect he too would agree with the previous posts of a solemn and silent display of respect.
Silent reflection is more powerful than any words.
May this family be blessed with the strength of their fallen son.
Rest in Peace Soldier.
I have people in the military. They don’t want this sort of thing and if the family is on the plane they definitely don’t appreciate any recognition of this type. Best to be respectful and give them a better seat if possible.
When my son-in-law’s casket was flown into Miramar, the pilot of the airplane stood with his hand over his heart. The military honor guard did not make a sound as they moved to retrieve the casket. I think you could’ve heard a pin drop within within 100 yards. Silence is the most appropriate form of respect.
When a flag was drapped over my Grandpa Gary’s casket, there was no National Anthem sung. Only Taps.
Great! Now White guilt has mutated to National Guilt!
Klansmen and White Supremacists to the left of me, Nazis and Racists to the right! Dickless, Transgendered fools in front of me and perpetually offended buffoons swinging out of the trees behind me! Everywhere we look the Left is fracturing this country any way possible with Politically Correct Divisiveness and I’m sick of it!
How about “I’m mad as Hell and not taking it anymore!” followed by the National Anthem and fuck anybody that takes offense!!
As a retired Captain, I would of snapped to attention, saluted the casket, and been silent.
That is the proper decorum,,,,,
How about a pic of the stupid flight attendant.
I might add that if you really want to do something for a military guy or girl, don’t sing songs. Pull out your pocket book and pay their utility bill, mow their lawn, babysit, make sure there wife is cared for, give them more money. These people are under paid and ill treated. Just welcomed the 82nd airborne back from Iraq and found that many had spent 4 months in bombed out houses with little to eat, no water, no bath, pooping in a bag. That is men and women. They need everything.
To be contrary, anyone that says, “it’s policy”, or “it’s the rules”, I reply, “show me” (and I’m not from Missouri). You can’t show me, I go ahead and do it.
But I do agree with silence as the proper show of respect for the military deceased.
I will *NEVER* fly again. Not just because of this, but because of the draconian regulations, the hoops that airlines expect their customers to jump through, and the snotty flight attendants.
If I can’t get there on my motorcycle, I question my need to be there at all.