Support has poured in for a Marine veteran who said he was assaulted and shamed by other Marines at Charlotte’s airport.
Jack Hughes sat down for a follow-up interview and discussed the calls and letters that he said saved his life.
Hughes suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his stint in Vietnam. He said when the other Marines tried to wrongfully shame him Saturday it sent him back in a regressive state, but the tremendous outpouring of support has been more than a boost. They shouted at him in the airport, and one even tried to rip the ribbons off of his jacket.
Hughes had just started to relate how many calls he got when the phone rang during the interview.
The caller was a Jacksonville Marine who heard about what happened Saturday.
"I definitely want to apologize on behalf of them,” the caller told Hughes.
The words left Hughes speechless.
The story of his assault went viral with 15,000 likes on one Marine Facebook group.
His phone has rung constantly since the story broke earlier this week. His voicemail is full.
"Sir, you walk tall. You were strong then and you are strong now,” one caller said.
Hughes, who earned two Purple Hearts in battle, said he expects to return every call and the hundreds of emails.
"I would be totally remiss if I didn't call them up and say thank you for helping me stay alive,” he said.
The 66-year-old said after the assault his health nosedived so much that veterans’ health care professionals who monitor his vitals called him worried about his blood pressure.
He said the positive messages from all over the world have made him feel so much better.
Before Lemon left, Hughes got a warm visit from his nephew, who is an Iraq War veteran.
He was inspired to become a Marine because of his uncle.
Hughes said one woman read that the buttons on his blazer were ripped off when during the attack. She offered to sew them back on.
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