Theodore's World

In January I was traveling from Buffalo to Kansas City. I was in the very last seat of the aircraft and just before the door closed, a standby passenger got on and was seated right in front of me. While the flight attendants were checking everybody's seat belt, one of them came to the standby passenger and asked if he was "active duty". The man said yes and the flight attendant said, "come with me, we're putting you in first class". It made me feel good to see United Airlines take care of our GI's like that.

I can't count all the times that people treated me to lunch or a ride. I was in the Army during Vietnam, a time when anti military feeling was at it's peak. I received a lot of disrespect, especially from my own age group. Yet there were people who also went out of their way to show their gratitude and respect for my service. These folks were all age groups and all over the country, even in California.

America is full of good people. I like it that our soldiers are now treated like the heroic warriors that they are. Their families are respected and their sacrifices are honored.

Wow, this is emotional, like Tom I saw it both ways during the same era, to get affordable public transportation we had to travel in uniform or pay the extra tariff on transportation out of pocket. Or hitchhike. Dunno if any of you remember $79.50/month and you paid for toiletries, haircuts and laundry out of that stipend, it didn't spread very far. Most folks shunned service members in uniform, we traveled standby 'space available' whether that be by air, rail or bus, full paying passengers rightfully went before dogfaces. My worst nightmare was in the winter of '65-'66, nothing was moving due to weather, finally got a Greyhound to haul me back to CA, that bus slid off the road at Grant's Pass, Oregon, all day before another bus came to transfer us too, then we were on our way, as it was I was 5 days AWOL, Got to my destination very late at night, only to find my duffle was missing, on the other bus, timbuctu, somewhere, who knows? It was in the belly of that stalled bus. AWOL, no clothes, out of uniform, not even a tooth brush or razor and broke, it took a while to get it sorted out and yes I had a statement of charges for a new clothing issues. Greyhound never anted up one cent or found the missing baggage. I flew back on a milk run after AIT, we hit every small town from Atascadero to Yakima, cold and hungry in an old Gooney Bird C-47 making the mail run, grateful for the ride, you could count the passengers and crew on one hand. That beast constantly backfired flames out the engine exhaust with oil streaking all along the fuselage and windows as we flew through the night. At Yakima it was mid winter, all I had on was dress greens, no coat, it was near zero out, I walked the 3 miles from the airport to the Bus depot to find it closed. This was like 2 AM, the next bus out was at 9 AM, I hoofed it up the street about 10 blocks, there was a grocery with the lights on, I went over to the lights in front to dig out my Eisenhower jacket out of that duffle, someone inside the store stocking shelves opened the door and said get in here where it's warm. I was their guest until the bus depot opened, they fed me and let me nap in their break room, I have never forgotten that. The rest of the times I traveled I was being heckled by anti-war idiots, in '68 -'69, while under strict orders not to fight back. Today it's much better but those factions are still out there. It's our jobs to ensure the troops never get that treatment.

BobF., oh wow that gave me goosebumps. Thank you for sharing about that Bob.

Tom, I wish with all my heart that every person you met when you got back was like the ones that showed their gratitude and respect for your service.
You all are so awesome to do what you have done and deserve tremendous respect and gratitude every day.

Jack, thank yo ufor sharing about that. I am so sorry all of that happened. I agree too, when I saw what was going on with the Vietnam Vets I swore if I could do anything about this never happening again I would do all I could to keep it from doing that.