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To Honor Our Veterans Please Boycott Delta Airlines
“On Dec. 13, 2011, Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown was leading his squad on a foot patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when he stepped on an explosive device that blew off both his legs, one above the knee, the other below his hip,” the Washington Post reported on December 13, 2012. “He also lost part of his right index finger.”
“Last Sunday, almost exactly a year since those grievous injuries forced him to learn to walk on two successive pairs of prosthetic legs, Brown was ‘humiliated’ to the point of tears on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington after being clumsily wheeled to the back row of the plane, according to a complaint sent to the airline by an outraged fellow passenger.”
What is outrageous is that when several passengers on the Delta flight offered to give Brown their seats in first class, the Delta crew refused. The Washington Post reports that “Flight attendants insisted no one could move through the cabin because the doors were being closed for takeoff.”
Now you are probably wondering why a financial analyst and banker is taking an interest in wounded veterans. The answer is that my employer, Carrington Holdings, participates in a voluntary network of private companies and individuals known as the Veterans Airlift Command (VAC) that donate our Flight Crew and aircraft to move wounded veterans around the country. The VAC organized and flew over 1500 trips last year and has a growing list of over 1800 planes and pilots that are standing by to help out.
The work of the VAC and its volunteers makes a big difference. A couple of days before Christmas, our flight department at Carrington had the honor of flying Taylor and Danielle Morris home from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to their home in Iowa. Like Chris Brown, Taylor was grievously wounded in battle and required months of rehabilitation before being discharged from military service. You can see their story on YouTube.
Carrington tries to fly 15-20 missions a year and like all the participants in the VAC, supplies flight crew, aircraft, fuel, maintenance and insurance all free of cost to the Veteran and family. We believe that it is our fundamental obligation to take care of those that have sacrificed so much while protecting our freedom.
Unfortunately while the Department of Defense generally does a good job of rehabilitation of wounded veterans, the last detail – namely getting these heroes home safely and with dignity – somehow is missed. We were fortunate to be able to help this brave young man and his beautiful wife travel those last miles home in comfort and dignity that they deserve. Like all veterans, they thank us profusely. Our answer is simple: “No, thank you.”
The VAC tries to serve as many veterans as possible, but the sheer number of young men and women who return from Afghanistan, Iraq and other conflicts missing arms and legs among other severe injuries is still too great for this volunteer effort. Hundreds of wounded veterans are still compelled to fly on commercial airlines and endure the same humiliation and disrespect that Chris Brown suffered at the hands of Delta Airlines.
In fact, when the VAC cannot fulfill a mission directly with a volunteer aircraft and crew, they buy and donate airline tickets to the Veteran and his or her family. You guessed it, even on Delta Airlines in the past – not anymore.
The goal overall though, is to make certain that when commercial airlines have travelers like Chris Brown or the other thousands of severely wounded Veterans, they make generous accommodations available to treat these heroes with the respect and dignity that they deserve. Or they can refer the veterans to organizations like the VAC for more customized transportation. Working together, the commercial airlines and private organizations like the VAC can get the job done; take care of America’s Heroes.
Unfortunately when my colleagues at Carrington and many of the other organizations that participate in the VAC contacted Delta Airlines to complain about the treatment of Chris Brown and to ask for a change in policy, they were rebuffed. They sent us a form letter. But this is a case where we are not going to take no for an answer.
The only reason that the commercial airlines aren't interested in referring and taking care of the veterans is in pursuit of the Almighty Dollar. Then in further pursuit of the fictitious “On Time Departure,” they treat these brave young soldiers like excess cargo. Companies like mine won’t stand for that.
Those of us who travel as part of our jobs rightly hate commercial airlines as a business model, but my colleagues and I vehemently resent their treatment of this special group of passengers. We need your help to get this bad situation fixed. And until Delta Airlines changes its policies, the 2,500 employees of our company will no longer fly on Delta.
When our CEO, Bruce Rose put the policy out to all of our Associates, he was met with overwhelming support and expressions of pride from all corners of the country where we work. Our Company “get’s it”.
Will you join us in expressing your outrage?
First, we want you to contact Delta Airlines CEO Richard H. Anderson and his colleagues. You can click here to get the contact information for Delta (NYSE:DAL). But frankly all of the major airlines need to hear the same message.
If you share our sense of outrage at the way wounded veterans are treated by Delta Airlines and other commercial carriers, then please get involved. Something as simple as forwarding this post to you friends and colleagues is the first step. And you can tell them, as we have, that you will not fly on Delta until they change their policy towards wounded veterans.
Second and perhaps more important, we need to contact members of Congress to demand that they pressure the White House, the Transportation Safety Administration and related federal agencies to make adjustments in law and regulation to change the way that Veterans are treated when they travel on commercial airlines. The VAC web site has a number of horror stories about how wounded vets are humiliated by commercial airlines and the TSA. Perhaps it has been lost on the TSA that these are the same people that are fighting on the front lines for what the TSA is pretending to protect. This situation is outrageous and completely unnecessary, but it will be rectified when we get enough voices to demand change.
The good news is that thanks to the VAC and other organizations, a growing number of private companies and individuals are making their time and resources available to help address the needs of thousands of wounded soldiers coming home from war. We don’t yet have enough volunteers and planes to get the job done privately, but the cases where we can take these brave men and women home in comfort and dignity make the effort worthwhile.
Just look at the photo below of Taylor and Danielle Morris on their way home with our flight crew flying the VAC organized mission last week. This is about honoring our veterans and doing the right thing. Carrington and the VAC can’t do it alone – please help us to take care of the true American Heroes that have sacrificed so much protecting our freedom by making their lives just a little bit easier.

Merry Christmas
Christopher Whalen
Links
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/files/2012/12/40
http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/Munford-Marine-Home-After-In-Fligh...
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Frankly, if more of us had the courage to express our distaste for the foot soldiers of American Empire, maybe more young men would think twice before signing up and getting themselves mutilated.
And no, they're not 'Fighting for America' - they're making enemies and destroying vast quantities of precious capital, both material & human.
Brave? Yes. Disciplined, well trained, Resourceful? Yes, yes, and yes.
But heroes? That all depends on what ends they're serving, and as the ends are evil, I don't think they can be described as heroes, any more than a particularly brave bank robber can be described as a hero.
On a human level, I'm sorry this guy got his limbs blown off. But I don't feel any gratitude whatsoever - he had no right to be stomping the American Empire's jackboot down in Afganistan, and should have refused going there. Now THAT would have been heroic, but it's the sort of moral courage 90% of Americans, brainwashed with jingoistic militarism, are completely blind to.
+1 Million to BigJim
This is not your grandfather's army from WWII. This is propaganda at its best.
And the military men and family members lay it on so fucking thick, I hate it.
"Hey lets buy this guy a drink on us" can be heard in any airport bar. Why? What about the poor slob without a pension and health benefits who has to hit a sales or production quota, or have to go home with no job to his wife and kids?
They volunteered to go. Usually because they lacked discipline or didn't finish HS from some bumblefuck town in the Middle America and needed to do something before / after they wound up in jail.
NB: Now, these aren't West Point cadets, nor are the Naval Acadamy grads. These are they guys/gals that get jobs when they go to duty as officers.
The folks who go into the middle east over the past 10 years are *NOT* heros. They are the same as they were when they went in and then they want private enterprise to hire them. What skill sets do they have?
On a human level though, i do empathize with their pain and suffering. But they are simply puppets for the elite pressing their agendas making money off of the poor and uneducated.
And for those bleeding hearts thinking of junking (go ahead) think about this: Nothing says fuck you more to your military friends and family than John Kerry being appointed the Sec'y of State. That should be enough to force you to think about what is really happening here to our country and how our military will be treated going forward.
+1
Kerry is a mega POS. I think we can all agree that with Vietnam - young men had pretty much no choice. That POS LBJ saw a way to get mega rich so he and his pals greased that skirt chasing pill head and boot leg runners son. Sorry f***s but no Camelot BS here.
Anyway, pretend Irish Catholic (really an Austrian Jew) f***tard Kerry got a BS cushy Navy gig from some Kennedy admiral. Well the old Navy threw a monkey wrench into that plan and those river boats got seriously dangerous duty. Well are hero fraud Kerry goes through the Navy manual and creates 3 little wounds to get back state side. His Kennedy Admiral got Kerry stateside ASAP.
Well VC Teddy Kennedy is running the NVA/VC protests because the Dems were out of office and I guess their palms were not getting greased. Evil Kerry then starts his Winter Soldier theater troop calling American troops baby killers, other lies and BS. Most of his vets were never in uniform. The real Vietnam Vets got smared by the scum fakes and Kerry. Sorry but most Vietnam Vets did not get a choice on opting out of the corrupt NWO program. LBJ and his TX defense company pals needed mega profits.
I don't like Nixon but he did end the war and he did not get rich on it like LBJ. LBJ was the second richest President and he was a corrupt murdering little sod busting POS Texas criminal scum bag. Nixon left office broke. He never should had removed the gold standard too. The gold standard was nuked by POS LBJ's Vietnam War and War on Poverty.
Yeah red team blue team but Kerry the POS who smeared Vietnam Vets to make a name for himself is a Democrat. Obama is a Democrat. I don't like Repubs especially those fake RINO Dem Repubs. Kerry is a real piece of crap. Dumped his first wife to upgrade. Parks his MAss yacht in RI to beat the MA taxes.
Like I said - The Pentagon and Joint Chiefs are cowards to put up with this evil. They probably were right there helping LBJ back in the day.
Heeeyyy! .. waydaminit!!!! ...
You got somfin 'gainst horses buddy?
@Shovelhead-it seems your name fits your IQ level.
This article was about honoring a man that was injured in battle fought by today's military. What part of my post was off topic? Your expected personal attack on my opinions exemplify low intelligence along with your conveluted logic when you state today's soldiers make the word a better place and that it was somehow my fault that many good americans join the military because they can't get jobs- in the same breath.
If they were not smart enough to get jobs in civilian life then decide to join the Empire, they are paid mercenaries, which do not demand or encourage inspiration.
Speaking of breath, you might consider saving the rest of us some good air and stop that habit.
Not surprised that reading comprehension is beyond your skill.
Yea , walking & chewing gum at the same time are not yours. You can shed a teary eye everytime you see the flag and stand up and praise Jesus at church while ignoring reality all the way to the inevitable end of life as you know it.
Well the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs support the usurper and the destruction of America along with the rest of the alphabet govt agencies. So the military is supporting the destruction of America. As long as the generals are getting their O mole spy whores like Ms. "Kelly" who is a Lebanese spy whore for the O's bosses - keep up the good work.
Also the military supports the full on TV and Hollywood control and brainwashing plus disarming Americans. My guess is love watching college ball and you support The Matrix.
I feel sorry for the kids in uniform but idiots who watch Tv and Hollywood's crap and keep saluting the TRAITOROUS brass deserve the sh*t they get.
F the Pentagon and the Joint Cheifs along with F TV and Hollywood. You watch it - you support it. And no - Fox is not your fiend either.
I wish - just for once - posters would respond to the topic at hand and not wade immediately rush into the SOS we get ad infinitum - evil banks, evil military who want the "destruction of America", evil politicians, evil bureaucrats, evil wealthy folks, 1%, 99% 47%, Jesus - do they ever have an original thought?
This is NOT about strategy, Hollywood, TV, stifling freedom or the NWO. It's about doing right to those who choose (for whatever reason) to serve the nation in our military. It seems like the comments are the same whether the article is about treatment of vets, nuclear reactor, gold storage or global warming. have a nice day.
Tango +1
I sent the following to Delta Customer Service a couple of weeks ago when this story first surfaced. I have posted the body of the email below. Typical corporate mumbo jumbo response. I will never fly Delta again period. I stated so in the email and made it conditional on the release of the flight crew. The pilot bailed out the cabin door as soon as it was breached, no balls!!
Anyway, here is my email and Delta's response...
DaddyO
Dear Mr. DaddyO,
RE: Case Number ********
We value customer feedback and appreciate you taking the time to contact
us. We understand your feelings surrounding this issue and we are
grateful you took the time to let us know how our actions have been
perceived.
This story in no way reflects either Delta’s standards or the very high
regard we hold for our nation’s service members. We are sorry for the
difficulties that transpired and are investigating this event to
determine the appropriate next steps.
Again, thank you for writing.
Sincerely,
Sandra P. Keefe
Coordinator, Corporate Customer Care
Delta Air Lines
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Delta Air Lines Customer Care Form
Title: Mr
First Name:
Last Name:
Reply-To Email Address:
Airline Program:
Frequent Flyer Number:
Address:
Address Line 2:
City:
State/Province:
Postal Code/Zip:
Country: US
Telephone Country Code: USA
Phone Number:
Flight Date:
Flight Number:
Origin City:
Destination City:
Confirmation Number:
Ticket Number:
Class of Travel:
Response Required: yes
Message: I will not fly Delta again until this is addressed with the
flight crew in question FIRED! Has Delta and her employees lost their
collective customer service minds! This is just another example of a
company that has lost its corporate humanity. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2012/12/13/marine-double-amputee-gets-help-from-fellow-vets-angered-by-delta-airlines-treatment/
Submitted: Fri Dec 14 2012 13:35:51 EST
That's the whole point - they're not 'serving the nation'.
Donning a US uniform before killing people doesn't automatically mean they're doing the rest of us any favours. This isn't WWII, where we were attacked by the Japanese (yes, I know we provoked even that, but humour me).
We're the invaders, the oppressors, now - and the people at the sharp end of our empire are destroying America as surely as the bankers who are making a more metaphorical killing lending 'us' the money to pay for it.
Oh, Oops.
I don't watch TV news, Fox or any kind.
But be careful not to fall off your one trick pony hobbyhorse, little fella.
I bet you watch Hollywood's sh*t though. Prolly a gun banner for O too. Keep supporting em serf.
Merry Christmas turniphead. I know you support the cowards at The Pentagon and The Joint Cheifs who support dear muslim. Now go F off.
F Hollywood, F TV and the MSM.
+1 million
The Joint Chiefs and Pentagon are cowards. All they care about is their pension and military industrial complex gig later. Good luck on that pension when everything crashes. Just like the USSR imploding. A pension based on worthless rubles aka The Ben Benank bucks. Doing the bidding of baby allah in the white hut.
The Joint Chiefs and Pentagon do the bidding for the elites and All of TV's beloved usurper islamist.
I fault the young kids a lot less because most of them are brainwashed by O TV, video games and Hollywood.