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October 02, 2007
Soldiers and Marines Not Welcome In Passenger Terminal
Oakland Airport Outrage
Fox News
written by John Gibson
On a flight from Phoenix to San Antonio, a flight attendant came back to coach and quietly informed a young soldier returning from Iraq that a woman in first class wanted to switch seats with him. He went to the front — to the big seats and the hot lunch — and the first class lady came back to his bag-of-peanuts coach seat.
Passengers around her applauded and a few were moved to tears. Acknowledging the applause the first class lady said simply: "I did it because he deserves it."
Cut to the San Francisco Bay Area where soldiers and Marines returning to their home base in Hawaii stopped for a layover, but found they were not welcome in the passenger terminal.
This comes from noted neocon Michael Ledeen in the National Review, who reports receiving an e-mail from a Marine chaplain returning with troops from Iraq. The chaplain said when troops got to Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California — not far from San Francisco — the welcome mat was not out:
"On September 27, 204 Marines and soldiers who were returning from Iraq were not allowed into the passenger terminal at Oakland International Airport. Instead they had to deplane about 400 yards away from the terminal where the extra baggage trailers were located."
This was not a security measure. After going through super-tight security, checking for contraband, ammunition and explosives in Kuwait, the soldiers and Marines had been allowed in the terminal building in Germany and at JFK in New York. But on the far-left coast they were quarantined from civilians.
This smacks of the bad old days in the Bay Area when returning Vietnam vets were spat upon. Some high-ranking military person should make sure it never happens again. Our Iraq vets should be welcome anywhere and everywhere.
Wild Thing's comment........
Those **** wouldn't even let the Marines film in the streets. They refused to have a war ship as a museum, they vote to ban hand guns, and now they refuse to let Marines in to the airport terminal! That city needs to be ejected from the Union! Remove it from California, cut their funding, sever their water supplies, and let the liberal filth in that city starve! I AM BEYOND FEDUP with San Fransicko!
Posted by Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 12:55 AM
Comments
First--My thanks to the lady who gave up her seat--we should do things like that.
Now, whoever the blithering idiot was who made up that rule at the Oakland Airport should be strung up by their toenails and fired.
These are American boys and girls you moron--they are NOT a security risk.
It's sad, this person is probably NOT a veteran so they have NO clue what it means to truly be an American.
That area of the country is lost. They voted in ALL the wrong people and anyone who is NOT a Flaming Turkey is not appreciated in that area.
Every time I see the SF/Oakland area on the news, it's hippies and gays and people who just stick their foot in it and make a fool of themselves every time!
Posted by: Lynn at October 2, 2007 05:22 AM
It's sad, but in a way, I don't care anymore. As a Marine coming through any of the GayBay Airports, I would not want to go the terminal. I'd be afraid of catching "something".
Posted by: SSgt Steve, USMC, VRWC at October 2, 2007 09:12 AM
Deja vu, 1968. But, it should not be happening now, nor then. I have to say that I returned to the Presidio of Monterey in 1969 and was treated with gracious hospitality. The people just south of the Bay Area were as nice as the Southerners of Alabama and North Carolina to a soldier.
San Francisco and Oakland had economies that were heavily invested by military $$. I hope they are both hurting now, except you know the Liberal Dems from there are feeding the area from the Federal trough.
The lady that traded seats with the soldier is what I think of when I think of an American.
Posted by: TomR at October 2, 2007 10:59 AM
Look at what just happened then look at Nancy Pelosi, they are controlling Congress. Pelosi like Reid, raped the taxpayer, he in Bullhead City, Nevada and she in the Presidio, CA. deals.
At a minimum I'd scrutinize any future patronization of SF and it's products. I do the same for Olympia and Seattle, Wa. it's the least I can do.
DOD needs to rethink SF as a point of origin and destination for it's flights and it's personnel, especially for their chartered flights, landing fees alone are astronomical along with airport taxes and sundry fees. Money talks.
This is a flashback to '68-'69 for most of us who served back then and were forced to travel in uniform. Never had any problems in any other California city but SF. The first time shame on you the second time shame on me.
Posted by: Jack at October 2, 2007 12:06 PM
Stop doing business in Kal-e-FORN-ya.
Posted by: Rick at October 2, 2007 08:12 PM
I was spit on in San Francisco International back in the late 60s..back when we had to fly in uniform if we were on military business even if it was a civilian flight. On the way back it was the same thing except this time there were several of us..and we wiped up the floor with some "volunteers for peace" before the cops broke it up..there wasn't anything to break up actually..we were just wiping the blood off our hands..
Posted by: GUYK at October 2, 2007 08:28 PM
They have no shame. I pray that the investigation will clean house of these vermin.
Posted by: raz0r at October 2, 2007 09:11 PM
Lynn, great comment about this, thank you.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 11:27 PM
SSgt Steve, USMC, yes I don't blame you for feeling like that at all.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 11:29 PM
Tom, me too, the woman that gave her seat like that is the America I have known and loved and I will not let that go.
I really believe there are more good Americans then the kind in this article in SF and other places. That is why they stand out so much because they are so vile and so horrible. Truly part of the enemy within.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 11:38 PM
Jack, it just makes me sick. It has so many good things there and for our military too, but it is just too much of the enemy to put up with this stuff again and again.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 11:41 PM
Rick...."Kal-e-FORN-ya"....like how you did that.
:)
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 11:42 PM
GUYK, thank you for sharing about that. I feel so badly they did that to you and twice. Glad you got a chance to show them they made a big mistake thinking they could do it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 11:44 PM
razOr that is the thing, your so right, they have no shame at all.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 2, 2007 11:45 PM
Complain to the Oakland Port Authority Omar Benjamin, he should be fired for treating our comrades in Arms with such disrespect!!!
http://www.portofoakland.com/globals/contact.asp
Semper Fi
Posted by: kiko53 at October 3, 2007 04:07 PM
I left my heart in San Francisco. The freedom of self expression is well known. These maringes, enlisted marines, ensure These marines had to leave their families, watch their buddies injured and worse creating bonds we civilians cant imagine. These enlisted young men endure living conditions and simple personal care is limited. I am saddened that San Francisco dont get it. Was any of their own called to duty, I left my heart in San Francisco, now I am taking it back. Because these marines with such disprect. Doesnt the fact these marines enlisted - freely took up arms should be seriously considered. An sincere apology is due them and their families.
Posted by: linda at October 4, 2007 04:24 PM
This is sad......... Kuwait and Germany treated us better than in our own homeland..
Posted by: Wulf at October 5, 2007 04:53 PM
