Double-Amputee Marine Humiliated

Jiro

Jiro

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Double-Amputee Marine ‘Humiliated,’ Cries From Poor Treatment On Delta Flight « CBS Atlanta
WASHINGTON (CBS Atlanta) – A marine who lost both of his legs while serving in Afghanistan was “humiliated” while boarding a Delta Airlines flight, as he was clumsily pushed to the back of the plane in a wheelchair, knocking into row after row of seated passengers.

Tears streamed down the face of Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown last Sunday when the war hero with prosthetic legs bumped into multiple passengers despite the best rebuffed efforts from several veterans on board to move Brown to first class.

The Washington Post reports that Delta flight attendants cited that because the doors had closed for takeoff, they were unable to move the wheelchair-bound Brown to first class.

Seeing the whole event unfold, retired Army Col. Nickey Knighton wrote a “customer care” report to the airline detailing the treatment of Brown, who was sitting in her same row toward the back of the plane.

“[He] was obviously humiliated by being paraded through the aircraft and was visibly upset,” Knighton wrote in her complaint to Delta, which was obtained by “She The People.” “I touched Brown on his shoulders and asked if he was okay. Tears ran down his face, but he did not cry out loud.”

In Dec. of 2011, Brown, who was on foot patrol in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, lost both his legs after stepping on an explosive device.

Last weekend, Brown, 29, was running a high fever upon returning from a hunting trip in Alabama for other injured service members from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Brown has spent almost a year since his injuries.

“I just can’t imagine what it was like for him, being that sick,” Brown’s mother told the Post. “He had a 104-degree fever and he was shaking. He was quite obviously sick.”

Retired Army Lt. Col. Keith Gafford, who was also on the flight, told the Post that two first-class passengers offered to switch seats with Brown before takeoff. This request, Gafford said, was rejected by the flight attendant. Gafford described the crew as being as “hard as woodpecker lips.”

“I have been flying with Delta for a gazillion years and this crew treated Chris worse than you’d treat any thing, not even any body,” Gafford told the Post. “I did 27 years in the military. I have seen a lot of things and have seen a lot of guys die, but I have never seen a Marine cry. What the kid said was, ‘I have given everything that I can give and this is the way I am being treated? This is how I will be treated for the rest of my life?’”

Delta representatives have said that they are looking into the incident.

“The story in no way reflects either Delta’s standard operating procedure or the very high regard we hold for our nation’s service members,” Michael R. Thomas of Delta’s corporate communications office told the Post. “We are sorry for the difficulties that transpired and are investigating this event to determine the appropriate next steps.”

In responding to whether he would ever fly Delta again, Brown kept it short and sweet to the Post: “Hell, no.”
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Hmm. I'm thinking I read it on fb through my former MP marine friend.
 
What was done that humiliated him? Bumping others as he went down the plane? If he was upset at being bumped, why didn't he say something to the attendant? He must have gotten to the plane late to not get a seat at the front of the plane in the bulkhead and missed the pre-boarding for disabled people as well.
 
How terrible... "make it right" it shouldn't have gone that direction in the first place! :mad:
 
Eater of Worlds said:
What was done that humiliated him? Bumping others as he went down the plane? If he was upset at being bumped, why didn't he say something to the attendant? He must have gotten to the plane late to not get a seat at the front of the plane in the bulkhead and missed the pre-boarding for disabled people as well.
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and it isn't even legal to put a handicapped person all the way in the back.
 
A little off subject here.....

We flew United on our way back from vacation. I had just been released from the hospital after breaking my leg. For some reason United made us wait until all passengers were boarded before they let me board. My leg was elevated, still had a catheter and the pain was pretty intense. They wheeled me past every full seat, bumping all the way to the very last row. Then the stewardess told us in event of an emergency we would be the last people escorted off the plane.
 
as a Veteran I am completely appalled that A wounded vet was treated in such a manner. It just goes to show that there is a serious problem of respect these days. I wish I had been there so I could have helped the Marine myself.
 
mountainman said:
as a Veteran I am completely appalled that A wounded vet was treated in such a manner. It just goes to show that there is a serious problem of respect these days. I wish I had been there so I could have helped the Marine myself.
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It seems that some other vets on the plane did try to intervene but were rebuffed by the cabin crew. :(

I, too, am a vet, as is my Hubby (TCS), and we are members of the Patriot Guard Riders. Also, we have a son-in-law who is a below-the-knee amputee (industrial accident). This story is very disturbing to us on several levels. It happened two years ago, and I hope the crews have gotten better training since then. Of course, there is no corporate training that can provide people with hearts or common sense.
 
I try to be really quiet on most topics but honestly this is one of the few that I just have a hard time letting go. I guess personal sacrifice and having known people that have sacrificed so much more just brings me to a personal level with it. I do greatly thank you and your husband for you service to our country and I as well hope that the issues have been resolved
 
mountainman said:
I try to be really quiet on most topics but honestly this is one of the few that I just have a hard time letting go. I guess personal sacrifice and having known people that have sacrificed so much more just brings me to a personal level with it. I do greatly thank you and your husband for you service to our country and I as well hope that the issues have been resolved
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I thank you for your service to our country also. :)
 
mountainman said:
Reba I would like to add you as a friend as long as you are ok with that?
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Do you mean on AD? Sure, send the request. I must warn you though that I don't often use the Friends feature. Nothing personal; I just don't bother to check it often. :)
 
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