Delta’s treatment of Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown, a double amputee who served in Afghanistan, sparked outrage among vets, according to the Washington Post.
Last Sunday … Brown was "humiliated" to the point of tears on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington after being clumsily wheeled to the back row of the plane, according to a complaint sent to the airline by an outraged fellow passenger.
Brown lost both his legs after stepping on an explosive device in Afghanistan in December 2011.
Retired Army Col. Nickey Knighton was outraged by how he was treated.
Knighton, a former helicopter pilot with nearly 30 years of service, who turned out to be seated in the same back row as Brown, assumed that because he boarded last, he would be seated up front for comfort and ease of exit in case of emergency. Instead, she wrote in a complaint obtained by "She The People," he was squeezed into a narrow aviation wheelchair that "bumped up against stationary aisle seats as he was wheeled through the aircraft. [He] was obviously humiliated by being paraded through the aircraft and was visibly upset. I touched Brown on his shoulders and asked if he was okay. Tears ran down his face, but he did not cry out loud."
Retired Army Lt. Col. Keith Gafford, who was also on the flight, told the Post that two first-class passengers offered their seats to Brown but the flight attendants would not allow it.
Delta’s corporate communications office offered a statement of apology:
The story in no way reflects either Delta’s standard operating procedure or the very high regard we hold for our nation’s service members. We are sorry for the difficulties that transpired and are investigating this event to determine the appropriate next steps.
Brown told the Post he would never ride Delta again.