First Class

PFC Peter Howard of Easton (OA-2011) is an American soldier assigned to the 101st Airborne out of Ft. Campbell Kentucky. He has been training in the snake and bug infested field for countless days and nights, under miserable weather conditions, zip-lining out of Blackhawk helicopters, and developing numerous and classified proficiencies. Finally the Private receives word that his long awaited leave has been approved. Although approved, leave is delayed one additional day which requires that his flight schedule must be changed. 
Finally, he is ready to go, he arranges a ride, and is dropped off at Nashville International airport around midnight for a 6:45 am connecting flight to Memphis and a final destination to home – Boston. His scheduled 12:30 pm arrival in Boston is compromised. All flights this past Friday are delayed leaving the soldier and hundreds of others in limbo on the East Coast. After hours of not knowing when he could leave, the soldier is scheduled to depart Nashville mid-day and land, not in Memphis, but in Washington DC. Several hours later the soldier is finally holding a ticket and boarding pass issued for a different airlines which will depart at about 3 PM and head on towards Boston. It is time to board and the uniformed solider is asked to head down the jet-way toward the aircraft, when a very well-dressed man walking at beside him turns and asks for his boarding pass. This unknown gentleman who is maybe a businessman, a state representative, or possibly a Congressman hands my son his 1st class boarding pass – no questions asked. This first-class act afforded to my son by this gentleman is not unrecognized. He extended genuine generosity, unselfishness, and respect to someone just trying to get home. Thank you – whoever you are.