Is this story true? Snopes doesn't have the answer.

[Homer_J.Simpson]

Is this story true?

I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 waiting for everyone to hurry and stow their carry-ons and grab a seat so we could start what I was sure to be a long , uneventful flight home. With the huge capacity and slow moving people taking their time to stuff luggage far too big for the overhead and never paying much attention to holding up the growing line behind them, I simply shook my head knowing that this flight was not starting out very well.

I was anxious to get home to see my loved ones so I was focused on “my” issues and just felt like standing up and yelling for some of these clowns to get their act together. I knew I couldn’t say a word so I just thumbed thru the “Sky Mall” magazine from the seat pocket in front of me. You know it’s really getting rough when you resort to the over priced, useless sky mall crap to break the monotony.

With everyone finally seated, we just sat there with the cabin door open and no one in any hurry to get us going although we were well past the scheduled take off time. No wonder the airline industry is in trouble I told myself. Just then, the attendant came on the intercom to inform us all that we were being delayed. The entire plane let out a collective groan. She resumed speaking to say "We are holding the aircraft for some very special people who are on their way to the plane and the delay shouldn’t be more than 5 minutes.

The word came after waiting six times as long as we were promised that “I” was finally going to be on my way home. Why the hoopla over “these” folks? I was expecting some celebrity or sport figure to be the reason for the hold up…Just get their butts in a seat and lets hit the gas I thought.

The attendant came back on the speaker to announce in a loud and excited voice that we were being joined by several U. S. Marines returning home from Iraq!!! Just as they walked on board, the entire plane erupted into applause. The men were a bit taken by surprise by the 340 people cheering for them as they searched for their seats. They were having their hands shook and touched by almost everyone who was within an arm’s distance of them as they passed down the aisle. One elderly woman kissed the hand of one of the Marines as he passed by her. The applause, whistles and cheering didn’t stop for a long time.

When we were finally airborne, “I” was not the only civilian checking his conscience as to the delays in “me” getting home, finding my easy chair, a cold beverage and the remote in my hand. These men had done for all of us and I had been complaining silently about “me” and “my” issues. I took for granted the everyday freedoms I enjoy and the conveniences of the American way of life I took for granted others paid the price for my ability to moan and complain about a few minutes delay to “me” those Heroes going home to their loved ones.

I attempted to get my selfish outlook back in order and minutes before we landed I suggested to the attendant that she announce over the speaker a request for everyone to remain in their seats until our hero’s were allowed to gather their things and be first off the plane. The cheers and applause continued until the last Marine stepped off and we all rose to go about our too often taken for granted everyday freedoms…

I felt proud of them. I felt it an honor and a privilege to be among the first to welcome them home and say Thank You for a job well done.

I vowed that I will never forget that flight nor the lesson learned. I can’t say it enough, THANK YOU to those Veterans and active servicemen and women who may read this and a prayer for those who cannot because they are no longer with us.

GOD BLESS AMERICA. WELCOME HOME AND THANKS FOR A JOB WELL DONE !!!

I checked Snopes, but they don’t know.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/comehome.asp

[Mr.Blue_Sky]

Sounds fake.

[UncleBill]

I agree it sounds fake, no airline, airport, destination or other similar detail included, which is indicative of fakes.

[Reeder]

340? The 767 only seats 325 at the most.

The 767-200 cabin, more than 4 feet wider than the single-aisle Boeing jetliners, seats about 224 passengers in a typical mixed-class configuration (six-abreast in first-class, seven-abreast in tourist class). Many other arrangements are possible, including up to 325 passengers in eight-abreast seating for charter flights in the -300.

http://www.jetthrust.com/htdocs/boeing-767.php
And who would know how many passengers? Did they count them?

[wolf_meister]

Yeah, as much as I admire what the military men and women are doing, that story has an Urban Legend quality to it.
Does the FAA allow planes to wait so returning Marines can catch their flight? Granted, it is a nice gesture but I think the FAA would be probably prohibits airlines from making arbitrary delays.
Also, why wasn’t it announced immediately that the delay was for returning Marines? Maybe because the story wouldn’t have that “all of a sudden” impact?
Also, would a group of Marines just returning from Iraq just happen to be taking the very same civilian flight? Wouldn’t the military have their own planes to take them to their nearest base?

[frixxxx]

*Originally posted by wolf_meister *
**
Also, would a group of Marines just returning from Iraq just happen to be taking the very same civilian flight? Wouldn’t the military have their own planes to take them to their nearest base? **

Not all the time wolf_Meister…sometimes it is cheaper to contract a few seats for a few good men rather than expend military resources to cart men back and forth…I was active duty in the Air force 8 years and only flew in one military aircraft…F-16…for winning a prestigeous award…

Sounds like a nice story tho!

[David_Simmons]

Probably just a story. With the amount of traffic being handled, a plane can’t leave (Major Terminal) for (major terminal) without having an assigned place in the landing rotation at the destination. Delays for any reason really screw things up and I think only result from mechanical difficulties or air traffic snarls such as for inflight difficulties or other unexpected events.

[samclem]

The earliest Google hit i’ve found is a May 30, 2003 on-line issue of a Marine Corps fansite. Does this offer any help?

[kniz]

*Originally posted by wolf_meister *
Yeah, as much as I admire what the military men and women are doing, that story has an Urban Legend quality to it.
Does the FAA allow planes to wait so returning Marines can catch their flight? Granted, it is a nice gesture but I think the FAA would be probably prohibits airlines from making arbitrary delays.
Also, why wasn’t it announced immediately that the delay was for returning Marines? Maybe because the story wouldn’t have that “all of a sudden” impact?

I waited over an hour in Memphis for a plane to Tupelo to leave. The reason was that an FAA inspector was scheduled to inspect that flight and her plane was late getting in from Little Rock. Point I’m making is the FAA makes exceptions.

**Also, would a group of Marines just returning from Iraq just happen to be taking the very same civilian flight? Wouldn’t the military have their own planes to take them to their nearest base? **

The Marines could have arrived on a ship (again it would help if we knew where this happened). The Marines do not have many fixed wing large planes, mostly jets and helicopters. There easily could be a group traveling across country.

[El_Cid_Viscoso]

We used to fly around in commercial jets a bunch. In fact, my first Marine Corps flight was off to Quantico, VA for OCS. It was a United flight, and if I remember correctly, we took off on time. 13 years ago, though.

This sounds bogus. The real stories have more details, like flight number, from where to where, what time of day.

It’s that kind of “grey-area” stuff that makes us all flinch a little – if we crap on it, we hedge on unpatriotic.

I think it’s ham-fisted allegory.

[Mr.Babbington]

It seems like creeping totalitarianism…worship of the warrior in a totalitarian state is par for the course. Apocryphal stories like this are only the beginning. I’m sorry. Stuff like this scares the hell out of me.

[jmonster]

Real or fake, it’s so poorly written and trite that I’m dumber just for having read it.

[jmonster]

Real or fake, it’s so poorly written and trite that I’m dumber just for having read it.

[Horseflesh]

Other than the part about delaying the plane, this is pretty much what happened to me and several other soldiers on our first US flight out of Andrews AFB coming from Saudi Arabia in 1992. We had to run like hell through the airport to make the plane on time. They did call ahead at the check-in counter to let them know we were coming but I don’t think we actually delayed the flight. Everybody bought us drinks but after being dry for so long I could only handle about 2.

[Shade]

Why was he “selfish”? I try to give people the benefit of the doubt but most of the time when people hold up planes either they are either being thoughtless, or the airline screwed. Eg. celebrities who are being pampered.

Anyway, regardless of whether it actually happened, many things like it did, didn’t they? Many people are very nice to soldiers, because they’re risking their lives for their country. Not all of them spew their experience out into a chain letter.

Also I feel constrained to point out that buying drinks for, praying for, and generally respecting soldiers is a good thing (normally), and is unrelated to whether the war was justified. They didn’t choose it.

[Futile_Gesture]

All this story lacks is a high school band, who just happened to also be on board, breaking into a selection of patriotic standards and the flight crew tearing up their flight manuals to make ticker tape.

Oh, and maybe a mother giving birth mid-flight and naming child after the first names of the entire platoon.

[samclem]

The version of the story that I’ve traced to May of this year had slightly different wording.

The story said “I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 from Atlanta to San Diego.”

It also appeared on May 31, 2003, over at a site http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm342483.html which seems to be where aspiring authors can post stories or just anyone can post glurge such as this with no hint of its origin.

[fortytwo]

Don’t forget the Captain and First Officer getting food poisoning.

[ooga_booga]

It sounds to me kind of like a modified version of the Pilot of commercial airliner makes announcement that the flight is carrying the body of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq glurge.

[Futile_Gesture]

No, even better! An 8 year old orphan flying to hospital in a coma comes around on hearing the cheering. He later goes into surgery clutching the dog-tags of the soldier who befriended him.

A 36 year old alcoholic, flying out to the coast to walk into the ocean and bid the cruel world goodbye gets the inspiration to go back to his family and give up the drink.

An elderly widow, grieving for her recently departed husband and flying out to her daughter’s to live out her empty life is invited by one of the kindly soldiers back to his home, where she meets and falls in love with his widower father, a veteran of the Korean war.

Now we’re getting an urban tale worth emailing to all your friends!