Passengers aboard plane salute fallen 'hero'

Boston Globe ^ | 9/26/2005 | Adrienne Samuels

[cwiz24]

When Delta Flight 1880 landed late Saturday at Logan International Airport, the pilot went on the intercom to make a request of the passengers preparing to grab their carry-on bags: Sit for a moment and honor a fallen soldier.

''The pilot said, 'We have a hero on this flight and sadly, he isn't with us, but his mother is escorting his remains,' " said Barbara Bell, sister of Sergeant Pierre A. Raymond, 28, an Army reservist from Lawrence who died Tuesday in Germany after being wounded in Iraq.

The normal bustle of an emptying airplane immediately ceased, she said.

''He went on to say that 'a sergeant from the Army is escorting them as well', and then [the pilot] thanked him for doing what he did and for keeping us safe and free."

[veronica]

I believe the Globe put hero in quotes to be their version of fair and balanced, at least in the title of the article. I think the Boston Herald would have let the word stand on it's own, or quoted the pilot more fully in the title, sans quotation marks around the word hero. It was a good story, one about which the Globe felt the need to editorialize, to some degree.

[Mister Baredog]

From now on I suggest all FReepers refer to the Boston Globe as a "newspaper".

How about "alleged newspaper", actually fishwrap is preferable to me.

[kitkat]

Your T-shirt: GO FOR IT!

[Republic]

Decency can make me weep, too. Odd, that.

[rudy45]

Let's ask the reporter about it:

asamuels@globe.com

Normally, the headline is written by someone other than the reporter. However, she is a good place to start. If I get other contact information, I'll post it.

[rudy45]

Boston Globe main number: 617-929-2000.

See https://bostonglobe.com/aboutus/contact/default.asp

[A message]

I truly love our President and his administration-top to bottom.

We have been very lucky, Republic.

Our President has had one heck of hard road, with attacks on the nation, natural disasters, a breakdown of morality and good sense.

Among the things that really, really irked me about the Kintoon was him saying how much fun he had as President.

Yea, like the OKC bombing was fun, and flight TWA 800 was fun, like the attack on the USS Cole was fun, the attacks on our embassies, bombing Serbia, Waco, the list goes on.... oh those were fun too. Glad you had fun Klintoon.

I thank Jesus every morning that real adults are in charge of our nation.

We are absolutely much safer having President Bush in office. Our enemies know the results if they step to far out of line. They know another attack on our homeland will bring even greater death and destruction upon their heads.

Lord, Jesus, I pray you help us in a great time of need come 2008 and help us elect another strong President. Because God help us come 2009 if we elect a weak President.

[solonthegreat]

'hero' is correct because it quotes from the article. Go back to "grammar" school and quit griping

[Republic]

I thank Jesus every morning that real adults are in charge of our nation.

Oh yes! I stand with you on this. Our Father knew exactly what we needed, and blessed us all, deeply, even those who do not or will not see how incredible this President and his team are and have been.

I mean it. This nation is better, more honest and once again strong because of this good, good leader.

[hiramknight]

"DECENCY always makes me weep. ."

Me too...I think it's the reaffirmation that there's more decent and honorable people in this country than than the Globe, Times, etc. would have us believe...

They're tears of joy.

Thank you Sgt. Raymond, and may you rest in peace. May God bless your family.

[cwiz24]

Bite me.

[postcolonialman]

On my weekly flight Delta flight from Atlanta to Lauderdale a couple of weeks ago, the flight attendant made the announcement honoring some soldiers on board and asked the passengers to remain out of the aisles to let the soldiers exit first.

A couple of younger MBA types in the row behind me stood chatting on their cell phones in the aisles ready for the door to open so they could bolt out.

Derek S, the COO, of the client I was travelling with, a mid 50's take no prisoners Desert Storm vet, turned around and said "if you boys don't sit down, shut up and show some respect I will personally see to it that you leave this place on stretchers.....gentlemen" (I loved the way he sarcastically stretched out the "gentlemen" at the end)

The buggers sat down really quickly and not a peep was heard from them again.

[Mr. Lucky]

The offending quotation marks are those in the headline, not the body of the story.

[plushaye]

" Lord, Jesus, I pray you help us in a great time of need come 2008 and help us elect another strong President."

I've already been praying this because it isn't too soon to start. I've been asking for a true Christian conservative Republican. I would be happy with Condi or Jeb personally. I can't see anyone else I like right now.

I am also praying for a double portion of strength, courage, and wisdom for President Bush because he was looking and sounding really tired on the weekend. A lesser man would be beaten down already after all the crises the President has had to endure.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

As Raymond's mother, Santina, got up to walk off the plane, her fellow passengers gave her a standing ovation.

Very sad story. It was nice that the passengers applauded.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

I seem to have the same problem with my monitor.

[Mrs.Nooseman]

Thanks for posting this article.

God bless this hero and his family.
May he rest in peace.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Your beef is most likely with the headline editor. At most papers reporters don't write their own headlines.

[Horatio Gates]

I would have payed to see that.

[Skooz]

I thought of that as soon as I hit the "send" button.

She actually replied to my email, encouraging me to read the article rather than the headline.