Bittersweet Memory

My first commercial flight was on this date, July 3, 1970. I ended up in Korea on July 5. Damn you, International Date Line. A day vanished from my life. If I purchased a July 5 newspaper, memorized the daily sport results, flew back to the US, and placed bets, would I be a millionaire that day?

Uncle Sam provided me a travel voucher to get from Scranton where I was home on leave to McChord Air Base near Seattle. I foolishly asked the Eastern Airlines counter folk at the bustling Scranton — Wilkes-Barre Airport to get me there. Thus began a 16 hour ordeal. First hop was Scranton to Allentown. Even though we were only in the air for twenty minutes, passengers received drinks and peanuts. Apparently, the dreaded peanut allergy was non-existent in 1970. On the ground in Allentown, the crew replaced all the little white “head hankies” velcroed to our seat headrests. Apparently, head lice and/or excessive hair pomades were a problem in 1970.

Though we were only in the air for a half hour or so before landing at Washington National, passengers received a hot breakfast in-flight. Also, all meals and non-alcoholic drinks were complimentary. Those were the days.

The “foolish” aspect of flying to the west coast on Eastern Airlines is apparent in the name. There was a six hour layover at Washington National before a connecting flight to St Louis and a significant layover there (I was so tired at that point that I don’t remember how long it was) before a final flight to Seattle. Eastern Airlines really doesn’t go west very often.

My military fare required that I be in uniform during these civilian flights. Rather than “Thank you for your service”, I got withering looks from passers-by. My Lai, Kent State, and the Cambodian Incursion were fresh in everyone’s mind. It was a shit time to be a soldier.

July 3 will always be a bittersweet memory. Being shunned by fellow passengers sucked. Free peanuts and “head hankies” made top for it.

By Ed Dufton