The grieving father of a soldier killed in Afghanistan is disappointed by the behavior of fellow passengers as he and his family attempted to make a flight connection to meet the slain soldier’s remains.
Staff Sgt. John Perry, 30, died Nov. 12 at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. A suicide bomber targeted a charity run at the base that was to benefit disabled veterans, killing two soldiers. Father Stewart Perry told CBS13 that his son confronted the suicide bomber before he could reach his intended target, and may have saved hundreds of lives.
On an American Airlines flight this week, Stewart Perry told The Record that the flight crew instructed passengers to remain in their seats while a "special military family" were allowed to exit first. The flight attendant did not mention that it was a Gold Star family claiming their son's remains. Stewart Perry told The Record that as the family passed first-class, passengers booed and complained, saying "This is just baloney," and "I paid for first-class for this?"
The Perry family made their connecting flight and received their son's remains. The family held a memorial service in California on Thursday before his burial at Arlington National Cemetery. He leaves behind a wife and two young children. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist the family.
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