Mary; The Nicest American Eagle Flight Attendant

I had the pleasure of meeting Mary (last name withheld) on a flight from Denver to O’Hare last week.   She was a superb attendant partly because she let me sleep and then offered me a first class meal when I awoke almost 2 hours into the flight.  But what makes Mary so unique is her story of “why”.

Mary started out as a navy flight attendant assisting troops heading to Operation Desert Shield in the early 1990’s.  She was not planning an entire career in aviation at the time, but just in the navy trying to help her country and discover her passions.  She served in the navy until ’94 then decided to apply for AA, the mainline carrier.  She was very successful and extremely happy being with the mainline until that fateful day in early September of 2001.  She was in the skies when the Towers fell and could not believe that someone would hurt Americans in such a heinous and cowardly way (her words not mine).  She was furloughed from AA almost immediately so she could go back to full active duty in the US Navy, somewhere she was thrilled to be allowed to be in service.  She was assigned to once again assist in the transferring of troops from US soil to Iraq and Afghanistan.  She loved the interaction with so many young troops who are willing to defend their country.  Both into and out of country she engaged in encouraging and congratulating many servicemen and women.  She did not like the fact that so many of our troops were riding home in the cargo holds in plain pine boxes, but glad to be able to bring them home to their loved ones stateside.

Mary was again discharged from the Navy in late 2004 and found that AA had not bode well in her time away, but found a new opportunity in the form of regional carriers, American Eagle to be exact.  So once again she is working in transportation and aviation flying the friendly skies above America.  Her benefits are not as grandiose as in the past; but she still enjoys interacting with people from all walks and corners of this great land.  If you ever meet Mary your life will be enriched. Oh, the Tiramisu from the first class meal was not bad either, as I listened with baited breath to her conveyance of the many stories she has from her times in the service of our country.

Thanks Mary!  You make this life better by your willingness to interact and encourage others.