SGT John Perry’s trip home
I’m sure that you’ve seen the story of Sergeant John Perry’s family and their trip home last seek with their son’s earthly remains from reportage in the Stockton Record;
Sgt. John Perry, was one of two killed in an explosion at a United States airbase on Nov. 12. He was honored at a memorial service in Lodi on Thursday and will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
[…]
Stewart Perry said he, his wife, Kathy, and daughter were flying on an American Airlines flight from Sacramento on Monday to Philadelphia, with a quick transfer in Phoenix. From Philadelphia, they traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive his son’s remains.
For unknown reasons, Perry said, the flight to Phoenix was 45 minutes late. The crew feared the delay might cause the Perrys miss their connecting flight.
So, when the plane landed in Phoenix, the captain made an announcement for all passengers to remain seated and to let a “special military family” exit the aircraft first, Perry said.
Several passengers in first class began to boo and complain, Perry said.
“Some people were saying ‘This is just baloney,’ and ‘I paid for first-class for this?’ ”
Our buddy, Bev Perlson, wrote to American Airlines to get thier side of the story. They replied;
The family has been saying that we did everything we could to help them and that we looked after the family the best we could. To your contacts feel free to share this:
“American was honored to have this family onboard. We will always make every possible effort to ensure a smooth journey in such difficult circumstances.
The SMFPHX flight took a delay due to a mechanical issue jeopardizing the family’s onward connection.
To ensure the family could complete their journey we moved the incoming aircraft across concourses, had some of our team members meet the family off the plane and held their outgoing aircraft for a short period.”
I’m not sure what happened and that’s why I haven’t mentioned the story yet. CBS News quotes the father;
“It’s not for protest – it’s for the death of the people that are saving us. That’s what it’s for,” he said.
He also called out recent presidential campaign rhetoric, including President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about the Khan family.
“One example would be Donald Trump speaking badly about a Gold Star family, who I now am, and it really bothers me, but it also bothers me that people don’t want to talk about the terrorism that killed my kid,” he said.
I’m going to need more information before I make up my mind about this.
Category: Who knows
Some folks are just in a great big tearing hurry. When I fly, as soon as the plane gets to the gate, some yoyo jumps up, whips his/her baggage down from the overhead, and sprints for the door, despite the flight crew asking then to remain seated.
Part of the general coarsening of life recently. Manners, empathy and patience are AWOL, as is common sense.
Not to excuse or condone what apparently happened, just my comment on some things we seem to have lost in this country.
I read this earlier this morning and was also concerned about what was being reacted to and by whom. I can well understand Mr. Perry’s reaction to ANYTHING that might be construed as disrespectful. He is grieving. I’ll leave it at that, too. I hope others here will do the same.
“Class has nothing to do with where you sit on the plane.” They may have paid to sit in First Class, but obviously they have no class at all.
Good broadside
Limousine liberals in first class.
Left-Trash, with a car they cannot really afford.
Some people in this life are all about themselves, their philosophy in life being “me, ME first, to hell with everyone else!” and for those that booed, may Karma bite you back tenfold.
I saw this also I’ve never had a issue ever on American Airlines I’ve posted it here also
I’ve never had a issue with anybody while flying on any airline in fact I had a lady one time while I was flying to Germany try to give me her first class seat. So reading this has my head spinning
What happened, happened, and the father has nothing but good things to say about American Airlines.
That said, I am curious as to what exactly the pilot stated to the passengers, and if there are other passengers that can give their side of the story.
If I was the pilot though, I would have specified that this family’s son paid the ultimate sacrifice, and that they need to catch the next connecting flight as soon as possible to bring their son home. I wouldn’t have generalized by mentioning they were a “special military family.” That’s ambiguous, and only feeds the first class turds.
The pilot may have feared that saying too much about the family’s tragic situation would go against their wishes. I think he got it right. The whiners should have had the ability to intuit that there was something unusual going on and calmed their own assess down.
Thanks John.
I saw this yesterday and said to myself it might be better for people to give this the 48 hour rule. Give the Airline a chance to see what happened.
I’m not willing to give the father a pass on his political remarks but I am willing to withhold comment about his behavior until his son is properly honored.
Some are painting this as an entire plane full of people booing a Gold Star Family. Its more likely it was one obnoxious fool. Lets wait and see.
I have no respect for anyone that thinks the Khan family were anything but political hacks exploiting their own son’s death for political gain.
There are liberals serving in the military, and this family seems to be one of them.
But let’s wait 48 hours and see which side the ball falls.
I might be wrong on this one.
CPT Khan served his country admirably, and has my respect just as all fallen Service Members do. Mr. Khan, on the other hand, the father who stood on the body of his fallen son to further a political agenda, deserves nothing but contempt. I’d feel that way regardless of his political affiliation. I’d love to make these “first class” passengers watch as a family receives the casket bearing their loved one. Maybe then they’d understand better.
I remember one time, back during the war in the old Republic of Viet Nam, when I was in my required Class “A” Uniform and flying on a plane late at night,
The stewardesses asked me if I wanted to sit in the First Class section.
Naturally, I accepted the offer, having never had that experience.
They offered to serve me liquor, but being a Mormon, I had to decline.
I think in this situation, I might have let my temper get the best of me and let loose with some sinful profanity and a challenge to a fist fight.
On the other hand, maybe I wouldn’t have said or did anything, since I probably wouldn’t have known what was going on, or why.
Rest in peace, Sergeant Perry, and may God comfort his family.
It’s given that the majority of First Class any more are just frequent flyers on upgrades, not first class farepayers. Unfortunately the flying public, like any other population segment, has their share of ‘entitled’ folks who think that because they (more likely their company) pays for more flights that they are somehow special rather than just merely frequent. Somehow it escapes them that until the plane is boarded no one is going anywhere, and that they and the hoi polloi will all arrive at the same time.
Wait, let me get this straight.
That one statement by the father about Trump, is enough for some on here to cast doubt on the father’s version of events?
What does that have to do with anything, if he was shown disrespect by some passengers?
Wrong is wrong.
“That one statement by the father about Trump, is enough for some on here to cast doubt on the father’s version of events?”
Who? Who are the some who suggested or wrote that the father’s version is suspect b/c of that? Yef is closest so I’ll count him as one. I (and I believe others here) understand that what the Dad heard and described MAY have been a spontaneous reaction to the announcement of delay, and not to the deserved special treatment the Perrys received to ensure they made the connecting flight. We understand that a grieving and, perhaps, angry Dad may have misunderstood the reaction and we are reserving on the conclusion that he was booed and hissed for some hateful and sick reason. That’s all.
The flight in question originated in Sacremento, CA. Sacremento is the capital of a state not exactly known for its love of the military. The state is, however, known for it’s markedly left-leaning politics.
Further, Sacremento is not exactly a conservative city – per the Sacremento Bee, based on voter registration liberals outnumber conservatives there by about 1.7 to 1.
http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article2606981.html
Draw your own conclusions regarding why people on that plane might have decided to boo a “special military family”.
I saw this on Fox and made a comment which is pretty much what everyone else here is saying. The 1st Class passengers had no idea what was going on and just acted rudely, it wasn’t some giant disrespect towards service members and the family. I think if the Captain had said what was really going on the passengers would not have had a problem with it. Let’s not man the barricades everytime something happens like this
Bingo.
The Captain and crew was put on the spot in trying to decide exactly how to describe the situation.
“A Special Military Family” is pretty open to interpretation.
“A Gold Star Family escorting their Fallen Son” would have been 100% accurate, but I’m sure the announcement would have perhaps bought out some pent up grief from the family as well.
If only two or more from all those who post on this web site had been on that same plane, this would have been a MUCH LARGER story the liberal media would have loved to repeat for days.
R I P Sgt. Perry
Amen Jarhead, Amen. “Several Veterans arrested after bitch slapping assholes who booed Gold Star family”.
If the facts are as presented, the 1st class response is reprehensible at best.
I have yet to read a first hand account other than the fathers. There is plenty of area for miss-communication as noted in the above comments.
The fathers political statement was, very odd.
Anybody have any information as to why a sustainment brigade E-5 was being buried in Arlington?
“Sgt. John Perry, was one of two killed in an explosion at a United States airbase on Nov. 12.”
Died in the Line of Duty, by enemy action (IED). Arlington seems proper to me.
More details
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=172730270
What does being a SUS BDE E-5 have to do with where you are buried?