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<strong>True story of respect shown to military</strong>

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I watched “True Grit” recently on a long flight on American Airlines that had a stop-over in the Dallas-Ft Worth Airport.  It’s a great film that shows how one man can charge four boldly and the importance of being trained to think as one.<!--more-->

Waiting in the boarding area for my next flight, I sat next to a Navy soldier in uniform. We talked, and he told me he was coming home from a second tour in Afghanistan.  I had a first-class ticket, and when I saw what seat he was in, I discreetly went to the gate agent and asked if I could anonymously swap my seat for his.

“No need, we have another open seat in first,” she said.

A few minutes later, the agent one-upped my pseudo chivalry and called the sailor up to pre-board, announcing over the PA that the flight had a vet returning from Afghanistan who was currently boarding the plane. The entire waiting area got on their feet and gave him a standing ovation. For a fleeting moment, I bore witness to a remarkable scene where 150 strangers thought as one.

Anonymous Beaufort traveler

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