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January 24, 2006

Meeting and Greeting the Planes in Maine

Greyhawk

We've written about the Maine Troop Greeters before, but that's no reason not to do so again.

Especially since the Christian Science Monitor ran a story about them today:

It is well after dinnertime for Kay Lebowitz, but she hardly notices - she has hundreds of American troops to greet.

Here at Bangor International Airport, she bustles about, sliding next to them at the snack bar. "I always ask them if they have children," she says. "They love to talk about their babies."

A planeload of US Marines, heading to Iraq, files in line to board. She strives to hug all 263 of them. "See you on the way back," she tells them.

"Kay, let 'em go," shouts a fellow volunteer at the front of the queue. "You're holding up the line." But the 90-year-old hardly notices that, either.

Ms. Lebowitz is a member of the Maine Troop Greeters, a community group that has dutifully gathered at this tiny airport in central Maine since May 2003. At the close of this night last Tuesday, the group had tallied 1,403 flights, filled with 260,927 men and women in uniform.

Of the dozens who show up regularly, many are veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. But local residents with no formal military connections like Lebowitz have joined their ranks, too.

Read the whole thing, then come back here to learn a bit more about Kay Lebowitz - what we've dug up through the power of Google.

Like this explanation (originally from the LA Times) for why she hugs all the troops:

Kay Lebowitz, 89, has such severe arthritis that she cannot shake hands. So she hugs every Marine and soldier she can. Some of the larger, more exuberant troops lift her off the ground.

"Many of them tell me they can't wait to see their grandmother," she said. "That's what I am: a substitute grandmother."
<...>
"When the flights are going over, it's heart-breaking," Lebowitz said. "But when they're coming home, it's heart-warming."

That story gives more details about other greeters too:

Marjorie Dean suffered a fatal heart seizure while she and her husband, Bill, were on their way to meet a late-night flight a year ago. She was 79.

Goodwin missed three days of flights when she was in the hospital for heart surgery.

"I felt like I was in withdrawal," she said. "It was awful not being able to be here for the boys."

Bill Knight, 83, one of the group's organizers, came to the airport just hours after his doctor told him that he has advanced prostate cancer. "It never occurred to me not to come," said Knight, who served in the Army and Navy for three decades.

Francis Zelz, 81, who served in the Navy during World War II, said it is a point of pride to respond even with only a few minutes notice. Many of the greeters were part of a similar welcome-home effort during the Persian Gulf War.

"You get a call at 3 a.m. about a flight in 30 minutes, and you think about staying in bed," Zelz said. "Then you realize, no, I can't do that. That wouldn't be right."

Many of the greeters can really connect with the returning troops:

Don Guptill, 71, who served in the Army in Korea, listened as an enlisted Marine, his eyes fixed on the carpet, talked quietly about being wounded three times.

As the call came over the loudspeaker to return to the plane, the young Marine reluctantly pulled something from his back pocket. It was his Purple Heart.

"He said he was embarrassed to wear it," Guptill said. "I told him: 'You wear it. You earned it. You wear it for all the guys who didn't make it home.' "

The Marines were barely gone when the Maine Troop Greeters began preparing for the next flight. "It's going to be a busy day for us," said Bill Dean, 70, an Army veteran. "That feels good."

While others provide the hugs. Back to Kay:

John W. Coombs Award Recipient
A civic leader and volunteer, Catherine Lebowitz (“Kay,” of Bangor, nominated by Jim Donnelly) dedicates her time, charm, and elbow grease to make a difference locally and nationwide. Even at 90 years old, she hasn’t slowed down at all! Once a Bangor city council member and as a state representative, now she is out-working younger volunteers on the boards of the Bangor Museum, Eastern Maine Community College, and the Maine Center for Aging, just to name a few. At any hour of the morning Kay gives out hugs of support as a volunteer Troop Greeter. This group brings cookies, homemade fudge and wave flags for every military service man or woman returning or leaving for duty through Bangor International Airport. Known as “Bangor’s Sweetheart” by friends and city officials, June 30 (her birthday), was proclaimed “Kay’s Day” by the thankful Bangor City Council for all her years of service. Kay’s dedication to her community, her state and the nation serves as a role model for us all.

More:

"That first woman hugged me," said Lance Cpl. Jason Hougan, 22, of Long Beach, Miss., still blushing a bit as he shook more hands of veterans and Bangorians.

"It was weird," he said, collecting himself and looking a bit shocked. "I haven't been hugged in a long time."

The principal hugger ---- 90 year-old Kay Lebowitz ---- led the group of Maine Troop Greeters who invited the Marines and sailors into their "welcome room" for cookies donated by Sam's Club and to make phone calls to loved ones on dozens of cell phones donated by Unicel.

"We just want them to know we love them and that we're thankful for all they've done." she said, tearing up a bit as she returned to embrace a surprised-looking Marine who lingered over her grandmotherly hug.

As a result:

Marine Lt. David Tumanjan, 24, of Boise, Idaho, said the Bangor greeting is both humbling and gratifying. "It shows us that what we did wasn't in vain," he said.

Awesome.

*****

And now, to be fair and balanced, here's Joel Stein makng the case for the other side:

I DON'T SUPPORT our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car. Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on.

I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you're wandering into a recruiter's office and signing up for eight years of unknown danger, I want to hang with you in Vegas.

And I've got no problem with other people — the ones who were for the Iraq war — supporting the troops. If you think invading Iraq was a good idea, then by all means, support away. Load up on those patriotic magnets and bracelets and other trinkets the Chinese are making money off of.
<...>
But I'm not for the war. And being against the war and saying you support the troops is one of the wussiest positions the pacifists have ever taken — and they're wussy by definition. It's as if the one lesson they took away from Vietnam wasn't to avoid foreign conflicts with no pressing national interest but to remember to throw a parade afterward.
<...>
But blaming the president is a little too easy. The truth is that people who pull triggers are ultimately responsible, whether they're following orders or not. An army of people making individual moral choices may be inefficient, but an army of people ignoring their morality is horrifying.
<...>
But when you volunteer for the U.S. military, you pretty much know you're not going to be fending off invasions from Mexico and Canada. So you're willingly signing up to be a fighting tool of American imperialism, for better or worse.

We're okay with presenting all sides of the argument here.

But really Joel, if you ever see some troops in Vegas (or Germany), don't try "hanging" with them - no matter how badly you want to.

*****

Now click here.

*****

(Hat tip Mrs G for both stories.)

*****

Update: Joel, I don't think
Jimbo
James
Michelle
or
Glenn

want to hang with you either.

Posted by Greyhawk at 07:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (20) |

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Joel Stein is living proof of why people have such a low opinion of journalists. It's not even worth the time to fisk the pap produced by such a low-life.

Posted by Don Miguel at January 24, 2006 08:10 PM

Kewl! Bangor Main recalls to me the The North Platte Canteen in WWII. It was just a few miles from where my mom lived in Brady, Nebraska.
OTOH: An army of people making individual moral choices may be inefficient, {snip} It's not only inefficient, by definition it's not even an Army - but that just follows with an army of people ignoring their morality is horrifying, while another army of people ignoring the death, murder, and suffering of others under the brutal dictatorship of an unceasing tyrant is moral? Twerps abound.

Posted by -keith in mtn. view at January 24, 2006 08:15 PM

Jeff Goldstein did a great job fisking Stein, quoting Orwell's slam of British pacifists.

http://www.proteinwisdom.com/index.php/weblog/entry/19737/

Posted by Bill Peschel at January 24, 2006 09:40 PM

Bangor, Maine - They've been doing this for awhile now. When my unit came back from Somolia, they met us at 5am in post-blizzard conditions with hugs & cookies. I will never forget their patriotism.

As for Joel Stein - how will he party in Las Vegas if there is no Las Vegas? The terrorists don't want to nuke Springfield or Mannassas. They want to nuke New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco - the Blue Cities, not the Heartland. Metrosexuals like Joel should be grateful that the troops he doesn't support still support him...

Posted by Fenrisulven at January 24, 2006 09:44 PM

I don't want to hang with Joel Stein either.

http://soldiersdad2.blogspot.com/2006/01/maine-greeters.html

Posted by Soldier's Dad at January 24, 2006 09:47 PM

Hang with him, or just hang him?

Thanks for the good news about the folks in Maine. I think the Steins of the world do us a favor by reminding people who the good guys really are.

Cordially,

Uncle J

Posted by Uncle Jimbo at January 24, 2006 09:52 PM

See, this is why Stein usually sticks to writing about himself. It's the only subject he knows anything about.

Posted by Jim Treacher at January 24, 2006 09:57 PM

After reading the Stein piece earlier this morning, I realized it was about time for another trip to the Wounded Warrior project and to sponsor a couple of backpacks.

This story about the Maine Greeters was what I needed to get myself back on track.

Posted by Sean at January 24, 2006 10:02 PM

Actually, I have some respect for Mr. Stein. His position of assigning soldiers responsibility for their own actions at least gives them their due as men and women. I disagree whole-heartedly with his position on the war, but Mr. Stein at least has the courage of his convictions.

Frankly, he's a lot better than the hypocrites I know personally who are against the war, Support the Troops(TM), but privately mention that anyone who'd join the military simply HAS to be white trash violent wife-beating sociopathic not-somebody-I'd-want-as-a-friend. It's impossible to have a rational discussion with anyone who thinks that way. Mr. Stein at least holds an honest position, one which it is possible to support or refute based on the facts.

Posted by Neil at January 24, 2006 10:05 PM

Stein is still stuck in us vs. them. To him, soldiers are The Other: strange, lesser people whose culture is alien to him and whose motivation he does not understand. They are "Soldiers", not "my uncle in the Corps" or "my sister's husband who's getting deployed". Perhaps if he was more open and understanding to points of view alien to his own, he'd become more enlightened and more mature.

/postmodernist OFF/

Posted by DaveP. at January 24, 2006 10:18 PM

Joel's dissing the troops from behind their defense. More at the link.

Posted by sbw at January 24, 2006 10:23 PM

Let's rewrite Quisling Stein's words a little:

"It's easy to look at the sorry state of the news biz and just blame the Main Stream Media. But blaming "the media" is a little too easy. The truth is that people who punch keyboards and speak in front of cameras are ultimately responsible, whether they're following editorial orders or not. Maybe they came from journalism schools that failed to educate them, or maybe their minds have been steeped too long in an ideological echo-chamber, to the point where they cannot conceive of the possibility that somebody could disagree with them for principled reasons. This is a symptom of much of the liberal establishment, but it is also a defining characteristic of Lenin's death camps and the Sandinistas' ethnic cleansing and state terror.

"You may become a journalist for idealistic reasons. But when you volunteer for the modern liberal media establishment, you pretty much know you're not going to be fighting Big Brother. So you're willingly signing up to be a tool of liberal propaganda, for better or worse. Sometimes you get lucky and get to report on Illinois Nazis marching in Skokie or unscrupulous lenders stealing old ladies' savings. But other times you're pissing on refugees from Communist tyranny or betraying fellow citizens risking their lives to defeat Arab fascists and terrorists."

Posted by pst314 at January 24, 2006 10:23 PM

I remember being greeted at Bangor when I came back from Afghanistan. It was a complete surprise, and a welcome one at that. Bless those people!

Posted by Major John at January 24, 2006 10:45 PM

I agree with Neil. Stein is scum and a traitor with no soul, but he's at least got the courage of his convictions. That puts him one rung higher than the "I-support-the-troops-not-the-war" opportunist hypocrites.

Posted by Jonathan at January 24, 2006 11:29 PM

I remember getting off the plane and looking at these two lines of old and young people standing there when we came around the corner.

Won't lie, at first I said to myself "man, I just want to get to a phone." I also felt a little embarassed that these people were here for us at 2 am.

Then the first guy shook my hand and said thanks, then the second...after a minute, everything changed. These people genuinely wanted to say thank you. You could see it in the crusty old vets eyes; the soft watery stare of the elderly ladies and the genuine looks from the younger men and women. By the end of the line it was hard for me to maintain my composure.

I will never forget what they did for us and how it still makes me feel as I type this. Maybe I'm a sentimental fool, and maybe some others weren't as touched although I doubt it, but I just wanted those in Bangor to know that they made a real difference for me. Thank you for your time, hugs, phones and support. You made it all worth it. God Bless.

As for that Stein punk, he isn't worth the time it took me to type this sentence.

end rant/ Thanks.

Posted by rick at January 24, 2006 11:50 PM

I will never forget the folks in Bangor who welcomed me home after my tour in Iraq. It was quite a surprise to walk off the jetway and see a crowd of them clapping and cheering, wanting to shake our hands or give hugs. I am not ashamed to say that I was a little choked up by it all...and a bit embarrassed too.

Posted by armynurseboy at January 25, 2006 12:16 AM

Although the welcome arms of my family were what I desired, a friendly handshake still chokes me up. It is an honor to serve and humbling to be thanked for it.

While returning from Houston, a flight attendant gave me firm grip and thanked me for protecting her and her family. What can you say? It si simply honorable duty, one which my family is the grateful recipient of each and every day.

Posted by Citizen Deux at January 25, 2006 04:10 AM

Those wonderful Maine volunteers have been at this a long time too. In the mid 90's, I was on yet another rotation of flying in circles in the no-fly zone, the whole deployment was as eventful and exciting as a parking ticket.

They still showed in force when we came back.

They still came out at unholy hours just to shake our hands, give hugs, and say thanks.

It was these people who made it worth while, who "got it", even when a lot of others at the time didnt' know we still had a mission there. They will always have my thanks and respect.

Posted by anotherspec at January 25, 2006 04:28 AM

Mr. Stein admitted to having been outwitted by a pop-up ad. Enough said.

Posted by rachel at January 25, 2006 05:28 AM

Joel Stein reminds me of a lines from Young Frankenstein:

"...but you have to remember that a worm, with very few exceptions, is not a human being."

Posted by pst314 at January 25, 2006 06:15 PM

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