Saying Thank You to Those Who Answered the Call of Duty

[darrels joy]

Saying Thank You to Those Who Answered the Call of Duty
Linda Coan O?Kresik for The New York Times
Marguerite Eckert and Sid Buzzell, volunteers with Maine Troop Greeters, met a military flight at Bangor International Airport last week.

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By KATIE ZEZIMA
Published: September 20, 2006
BANGOR, Me. ? Shortly before 11 on a recent Monday night, Cathy Czarnecki made sure the macadamia nut cookies were on the table of treats in a room at Bangor International Airport. The commercial passengers had all left, but 260 soldiers would soon arrive to a welcome that few of them expected.

?Here they come!? someone shouted, and a dozen or so volunteers went out into the hallway and applauded as a line of soldiers in desert camouflage and tan boots poured into the small terminal.

?Thank you for your service,? one man said to a soldier while shaking his hand. ?Welcome to Maine,? another greeter said.

?I think I?m going to cry,? a female soldier said after being hugged and cheered in the terminal.

The volunteers are members of Maine Troop Greeters, which was founded in 1991 to greet troops headed to the Persian Gulf war. Since May 2003, shortly after the start of the Iraq war, the group has welcomed every military transport flight that has arrived here.

The group came about, in part, because this is the country?s easternmost airport and it has one of the longest runways in the nation, making it a favored military refueling and transfer location.

The founder of the group, Bill Knight, 84, is a World War II veteran. He recalled how soldiers were treated after Vietnam and said he wanted to ensure that troops were thanked.

?The way they treated those troops was horrible,? Mr. Knight said. ?We can?t go back, but we can try to make a difference from here on out.?

Maine Troop Greeters has about 100 volunteers who operate out of the small room, which is lined with American flags, signed military T-shirts and maps of Iraq. They arrive about three hours before a flight to set out cookies donated by a local Sam?s Club, pies baked by volunteers, and candy and donuts. They also make sure free cellphones donated by local providers are available for troops to use.

The greeters here on the recent Monday night had various reasons for donating their time.

Ms. Czarnecki joined in 2004 after her son was deployed to Iraq. ?It was my security blanket,? she said. ?It was my way to stay connected with what was going on over there.?

Her son has returned safely, and she continues to volunteer.

Peter Jones, 51, started greeting troops here in March, shortly after his father, Freeland, died at age 82. Freeland Jones, a World War II veteran, volunteered until he was not strong enough, and his son said he felt that coming here honored both his father and the troops.

Mr. Jones said he became hooked his first day, when members of a New Jersey National Guard unit wept as greeters hugged them and shook their hands. ?It lifts my spirit to know I can come out here and make a difference,? Mr. Jones said.

The plane on that Monday night brought troops from bases in California, Nevada, Utah and Washington, and was headed to Ramstein Air Base in Germany and then to the Middle East. It was the 1,774th flight greeted since May 2003, with 335,195 men and women and 35 military dogs having passed through the airport.

?Use a cellphone, call home,? Mr. Knight said as he doled them out. ?Have something,? he added, motioning to the food.

Lt. Col. Eric Shalita, 43, did both, helping himself to a powdered donut after calling his wife and two daughters at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. ?It was amazing,? Colonel Shalita said. ?We were completely not expecting this.?

?It?s nice to know that people genuinely support us,? he added.

Staff Sgt. Stanley Siaosi, 26, was tired from the trip and missed his wife and children, who live at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Sergeant Siaosi said the greeting made him resolute about his mission.

?This is really motivating for us to go out there and do our job,? he said. ?You come here on the other side of the U.S., and there are greeters there ready to shake your hand. It gives you that patriotic feeling.?

The airport?s restaurant and gift shop stayed open late, and the troops eagerly dug into cheeseburgers and chicken fingers, some washing them down with the last Budweisers and Coronas they will have for a while.

Others sat in the terminal, chatting with the greeters about life, family and Bangor?s most famous resident, Stephen King. Some said they really like Maine, despite having never set foot outside the airport, and most vowed to come back for lobster. Two hours after the troops arrived, the beer still flowed and most of the greeters remained, eagerly chatting.

?This is really good for the young kids,? Chaplain Jeff Neuberger, 56, said as he motioned to a room filled with baby-faced soldiers. ?It?s one little gesture, but the support means everything to these guys and gals.?

Fine folks and fine Americans. I salute them.

[Packo]

I've heard of this and thank those people for their love of our service people. Wouldn't this have been nice for us. It may have helped our healing process.

Thank you Maine-i-acs!

Pack

[Robert Ryan]

God Bless them and thank them for the support of fighting men and women. I guess the USO at San Francisco Airport did all they could for us when we got back, there were no people there to great us, but there were cookies and other food there for us that were donated by local citizens.

[Jerry D]

I still have the little Yellow ribbon with the Bangor Maine imprint on it that they pinned onto my shirt when we landed at O'dark thirty in the morning. Those greeters look like some of the same people that were in the airport back during the first Gulf war when I flew back from Zaragoza Spain the 1st deployment I went on to support Desert Storm. to those fine people from Bangor, ME

[Stick]

Originally posted by Packy Wouldn't this have been nice for us. It may have helped our healing process. Thank you Maine-i-acs!
Pack

I know that I've said it before but I didn't have that problem since I came home on a 141 on a strecher and they carried me from the airport but I heard of troops coming home and told to NOT wear their uniforms if the were due to arrive in SanFrancisco due to the "greeting" that they would recieve.

Yesterday I was at a Wal-Mart and there was a guy wearing an Air Force uniform and I quickly went to him, offered my hand and thanked him. Whenever I see a troop or troopess I will make a point of going to them andoffering my hand in graditude. They deserve all they can get.

And to you that might have arrived to that SanFran. greeting, I offer my sincerest thanks and apprieciation. OBTW, thanks for covering my ass too.