Southwest Goes Above & Beyond For Group of WWII Veterans
Every once awhile a story comes along that really makes you proud of an airline, and this story emanating from the actions of Southwest Airlines is no different.
On Thursday, a group of WWII veterans from St. Louis took an honor flight to Washington, D.C., giving them the opportunity to see the nation’s capital firsthand, even including a visit to the WWII Memorial, something most of them have never seen.
The trip took a turn for the worst when the return flight to St. Louis was canceled because of weather and other factors. Usually, a flight cancellation can ruin an entire trip, but in this case, Southwest has something up their sleeve to help the group of American heroes.
According to Karl Lund, the photographer and flight leader for the honor flight, he was planning on booking hotel rooms when Southwest got in touch with him and told him, “No, not our guys, not our heroes.” Following that, Southwest dispatched a new aircraft and crew for the veterans.
The group of American heroes was able to leave Washington, D.C. at 12:30am and took a direct flight back to St. Louis.
Lund said he has taken part in many honor flights, but never has he experienced anything like the rescue mission that Southwest pulled off for the group. According to Lund, “They were all touched. They were shaking hands with the crew, hugging the crew, thanking the crew. Southwest went above and beyond. I couldn’t believe it when they told us they were fueling up a jet to come and get us.”
Traveling can be frustrating when delays occur, but every once and awhile a story like this serves as an example of how a company can go above and beyond to serve those who served our country.
