A Marine Corps veteran’s attempt to underscore the alarming issue of service members taking their own lives nearly resulted in her being removed from a Delta flight … and she was compelled to alter her attire prior to take-off.
Catherine Banks, who dedicated 22 years to the Marine Corps, recounted her experience on a Delta flight in San Francisco earlier this week, when a flight attendant approached her and stated, “You must exit the plane.”
According to her, the attendant remarked that her shirt was “threatening.” The t-shirt featured a slogan that read, “Do Not Succumb to the War Within … Stop Veteran Suicide.”
Catherine informed KNTV that she was astonished, replying with, “Are you serious?”
She explains that she had served for more than two decades and was en route to visit her sister, who is also a Marine — but she asserts the attendant responded with, “I’m not concerned about your service” … and insisted she could not reboard the aircraft unless she changed her shirt.
Banks reported feeling overwhelmed by anxiety as she waited on the jet bridge, and — after requesting the flight attendant to turn away — she removed the shirt and switched to a sweatshirt.
Eventually, she was granted permission to reboard the plane, but the delay caused her to miss a connecting flight.
As for what was deemed so threatening about her shirt — we’ve reached out to Delta Airlines for clarification but have yet to hear a response.
The statistics surrounding military suicides are alarming — an estimated 22 veterans take their lives daily, and the suicide rate across all branches of the military stands at 32 percent.
We have contacted Delta for their perspective on the matter … but have not received any feedback thus far.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing distress or crisis, support is accessible. Call or text 988 or initiate a chat 988lifeline.org.