Local Airline Dedicates B757 to Veterans

Veterans Day is an important holiday, it is a unique holiday and it is a bit exclusive.  You have to be willing to put your country above your self interest and not all are capable of such an act.   I am proud to be a Veteran and associate with Veterans, as a rule we tend to be a better class of people.  We are patriotic, loyal, well informed and bound by a sense of duty that is mostly missing in the civilian world.

 Work and Cub scouts have had me very busy so the posting has been light.

I saw this on the local news outlet.

    As a Veteran I like seeing this stuff.  It helps to keep us in the public mind, so the veterans now don't go through what the Vietnam Veterans went through.


Delta dedicates Boeing 757 as 'Spirit of Freedom' to honor veterans

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November 9, 2012

Photo: More than 600 employees and invited guests gathered Friday for the unveiling of the ‘Spirit of Freedom’ Boeing 757-200 aircraft in Atlanta.
Delta Friday unveiled a Boeing 757 as the “Spirit of Freedom” in honor of the men and women – including more than 10,000 Delta people – who have served and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces.
Richard was joined by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, who serves as adjutant general for the Georgia National Guard and is also a Delta pilot, and Ronald Young, executive director for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. They joined more than 600 Delta people, elected officials and representatives from military organizations and Atlanta-based charities to commemorate the dedication at the TOC in Atlanta.
The Delta Honor Guard opened the program. This employee-led initiative administers honor guards –complete with flag ceremonies and patriot-themed ground equipment –when transporting fallen heroes home at more than a dozen U.S. airports.
During the event, attendees were encouraged to write letters to active-duty servicemen and servicewomen in Afghanistan. These letters will accompany care packages through the coordination of Delta’s Veterans Employee Network and its partnerships with the Coca-Cola Co. and the USO.
“At Delta, we have an obligation to support our employee servicemen and servicewomen, our veterans and the millions of others on active duty who fly with us each year,” Richard said in remarks at the ceremony. “In honor of their brave acts of service, selflessness and sacrifice, we are proud to dedicate this aircraft as the ‘Spirit of Freedom.’ “
Delta will continue to honor veterans with a gate celebration at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., Nov. 12-13. During the celebrationthe Delta Air Lines Foundation will donate $350,000 to the Fisher House Foundation to support veterans and families receiving treatment at military medical centers.
Anthony Smith, a 12-year veteran of Delta’s aircraft paint shop went into action Thursday morning to get the Boeing 757-200 prepped and painted for Friday’s event. The job took 10 hours but Anthony says it’s something he feels honored to do.
“It’s such a joy to work on special projects like this for Delta and to work for an airline that honors its employees,” he said. “There is a great deal of pride that goes into painting a plane dedicated to the employees who serve.”
“From employee volunteer efforts to military-friendly hiring practices and company policies, Delta is a leading example of outstanding support provided to men and women who serve our great nation,” said Gov. Deal at the ceremony.
In July, Delta accepted the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve employees. Delta is the first airline to receive the honor in a decade and was nominated by its own employee.