(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A Marine Corps veteran was booted out of a Delta flight and ordered to change clothes after a flight attendant claimed her shirt was “threatening,” NBC affiliate KNTV reported on Friday.
The so-called “threatening” shirt featured a message highlighting the issue of veteran suicide, which affects many military personnel after their years of service.
Catherine Banks, who served 22 years in the Marine Corps, was en route to visit her Marine sister when a Delta flight attendant suddenly stopped her.
The reason? Her shirt, which read, “Do Not Give In To The War Within End Veteran Suicide,” was deemed an issue.
“‘You need to get off the plane,’” a tearful Banks recalled being told. “I was like, ‘What did I do?’”
After being escorted off the plane, the male attendant told her that the shirt she was wearing was “threatening.”
“I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’” Banks recounted. She explained to the attendant that she was a Marine Corps veteran.
“I’m going to see my Marine sister. I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 22 years and worked for the Air Force for 15 years. I’m going to visit her,” she told the outlet.
The flight attendant, in a seemingly dismissive tone, responded that he didn’t “care” about her or her sister’s service.
“The only way you’re going to get back on the plane is if you take it off right now,” the man ordered her.
A powerless Banks agreed to change her shirt, asking the attendant to turn around as she wasn’t wearing a bra.
The incident caused a delay in the flight, cost her an extra legroom seat and forced her to sit in the back.
In her remarks to KNTV, Banks said the incident left her feeling dehumanized.
“I feel like they just took my soul away,” she said. “I’m not a bad person, and that T-shirt, I should be allowed to support myself and veterans.”
In remarks to Headline USA, a Delta spokesperson claimed that the issue had been “resolved.” However, the spokesperson refused to say whether there was an ongoing investigation or if the flight attendant had been suspended.
“We appreciate her patience as we continue to work to understand what occurred during this event. Most importantly, we are thankful for her service to our country,” the spokesperson said.
The shirt appeared to be part of the Til Valhalla Project Apparel Co., a company that fundraises for memorials of lost veterans to suicide and has paid for over 10,000 hours of therapy.
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“To hear someone was mistreated for wearing our gear that helps pay for the memorials delivered to families of fallen heroes and therapy for veterans, is appalling,” the company wrote on Facebook.
It added, “Miss Banks, THANK YOU for not only your service but for your support in our mission. You deserved better! Be on the lookout for an email from us because I’m covering your flight, and another flight if you want to come see what we do personally.”
