The following blog was written by yours truly and posted on a good friend’s blog approximately 2 years ago. I welled up as I wrote it back then. I well up every time I read it now.
Also, it's a blog that rings true 365 days of the year. Not just on Memorial Day…
"Showing Appreciation"
This past holiday weekend I spent 2 days in Tallahassee and seemingly twice that amount of time on an airplane. As a result, I witnessed many things throughout my travels both good and bad. Everyone knows that you can see a little bit of everything while sitting and waiting in airports.
One event that stuck out happened not in the terminal but on the airplane itself. Behind me sat a young man, maybe 23 years old, and dressed in fatigues. He exuded poise and confidence yet underneath his camouflaged exterior he drowned in shyness and humility.
He had been “going home for the first time in a year” and had been away for 2 of the last 3 years in Iraq. After speaking with his chin held high you couldn’t help but notice the harsh reality of the last several years when he lost eye-contact for the first time and uttered “It’s weird to be going home...”
It was as though he was no longer talking to a stranger in 19A but to his journal back in Baghdad.
As the plane landed and the seat-belt lights went dark everyone immediately stood up as though they were a part of a Pavlov experiment. Evidently they all had somewhere better to be than he did. Only this time the stewardess put that unnecessary frenzy to an immediate halt.
She had something more important in mind…
“Ladies and Gentleman before everyone gets ready to leave the plane I’d like to ask a favor. We have a young gentleman back there who is returning from overseas and it would be our honor to let him depart the plane first to get to his family. Thank you very much sir. We appreciate everything you do. Have a great weekend and Happy Memorial Day.”
Cue the standing ovation from everyone on the plane…and yours truly fighting back the tears…and you have Staff Sgt Montgomery reluctantly leaving the plane as if to say, “Thank you very much…but I’m no better than any of you.”
Yet we all know he is.
Fast forward to the terminal and you have his significant other and their infant son waiting for him with a sign that reads, “Welcome home Staff Sgt Montgomery/Daddy!!”
Stick a fork in me. I’m done.
Some people’s definition of Memorial Day varies. To most people it’s an invitation to enjoy lack-of-sleep and a lot of partying. The true meaning of Memorial Day is intended to honor American soldiers who have fought and died for the country.
Something tells me his Memorial Day was a lot more significant than ours.
So when we’re all pissed that our flight is delayed and we forgot to set up the DVR we can all think of what a delayed flight means to people like Staff Sgt Montgomery.
