encore
Holiday Miracle?
Despite inclement weather, a canceled flight, and an aircrew’s convictions, an Air Force chaplain inexplicably makes it home to spend Christmas with his family.
In 1984, I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my family. I had a break in my residency in clinical pastoral education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., which meant I could spend two weeks in sunny Phoenix. But getting home was going to be difficult with inclement weather disrupting air travel.
When I arrived at the airport, I found my flight was canceled. Like hundreds of others, I waited in line for help getting a flight out of Washington. My hope faded when the airline attendant behind the counter looked like a high school student filling in as a part-time clerk during his holiday break.
When I explained my situation, he quickly suggested an alternate route. He told me there was a flight ready to go to Pittsburgh. From there, I could take a flight going to Los Angeles. But my destination was Phoenix. He explained the LA flight would have to refuel in Phoenix due to headwinds, and I could get off the plane there. My instructions were to tell the crew when boarding in Pittsburgh I was the one to be let off in Phoenix.
Anything that would get me out of Washington was worth a try, so Pittsburgh it was.
After explaining my situation to the flight attendant, she said she would let the crew know but told me the plane was going directly to LA. I took my seat. When we were almost ready for takeoff , the captain announced over the PA, “Would the guy who thinks he is going to Phoenix please come forward?”
All eyes were on me as I walked to the front of the plane. Everyone had a good laugh at my expense. The crew was adamant: They were not stopping in Phoenix, but I could go to LA and then get a flight back to Phoenix. I agreed to do so and again took my seat.
Everyone settled down for a quiet flight in the late evening hours. But well into the night, the captain came on the PA with an apology for disturbing everyone’s sleep. He announced he had good news for one passenger and bad news for everybody else. Fuel was low because of headwinds, so we were stopping to refuel. I wanted to gloat but held it to a smug grin. In Phoenix, we parked out on the tarmac, where the rear stair was lowered and I was taken to the terminal in a service truck.
I’ve never found a logical explanation for how the young counter worker in Washington knew the plane would have to refuel when the flight crew was certain it would not. That leaves the illogical, the mysterious. It was Christmas. Was he an angel? I’ll never know.
MO
— Gerald Knighton is a retired Air Force major and chaplain. He resides in Slidell, La. For submission information, see page 6.
Tell Your Story Submit your service-related adventures (or mishaps) of 450 to 500 words by email to
encore@moaa.org or by mail to Encore Editor, 201 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. All submissions will be considered for publication.
80 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2012
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