John Perry was a sergeant who was one of four people killed in an explosion at Bagram Airfield — which is an airbase operated by the United States — in Afghanistan at approximately 5:30 in the morning local time on Saturday, November 12, 2016 as the result of an attack by an apparent suicide bomber. That incident injured seventeen other soldiers who were participating in a mission.
Family Members of Slain Soldier Booed by Passengers in First Class Cabin
Stewart Perry — who served the United States as a Marine and is the father of John Perry — was traveling with his wife and daughter from Sacramento to Philadelphia via Phoenix on Monday, November 14, 2016 as passengers of flights operated by American Airlines when the airplane arrived at the airport in Phoenix 45 minutes late. Members of the flight crew were concerned that the delay might cause the Perry family to miss their connecting flight to Philadelphia, from which the family would travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive the remains of John Perry. All passengers were asked via announcement over the public address system aboard the airplane by the captain to please remain seated in order to allow a “special military family” to exit the aircraft first.
“Several passengers in first class began to boo and complain, Perry said”, according to this article written by Nicholas Filipas of the Stockton Record. “Some people were saying ‘This is just baloney,’ and ‘I paid for first-class for this?’”
Disappointed, Disrespected and Disgusting
Despite the employees of American Airlines reportedly doing everything they could to accommodate the Gold Star family, Perry was “disappointed and hurt” at the passengers who booed him and his family; and he ultimately felt “disrespected” as a result of the ordeal.
Perry and his family — who live in Stockton — were able to catch their connecting flight; and the pilot ensured that the aircraft remained at the gate at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for 40 minutes so that all of the members of the family were safely and securely aboard the airplane.
“It was really disgusting on the passengers’ part,” Perry said, according to the aforementioned article. “It was just disgusting behavior from people in first class; it was terrible to see. You could see the disappointment from the flight crew.”
Summary
After being honored at a memorial service in Lodi because heroically “made a decision that saved a lot of people,” John Perry — who was reportedly found protecting a female soldier at the time of his death — will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Perry was not certain as to whether the passengers from Sacramento knew there was a Gold Star family aboard the airplane; nor did he know if there was a similar reaction from passengers seated in the economy class cabin — but does that really matter?
Whether or not members of the military should receive special treatment as airline passengers is one issue which is up for debate; but the men and women who serve in the United States armed forces — and especially the families of those who are killed in the line of duty — do not deserve to be treated with outright and blatant disrespect, in my opinion.
Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
