This Veterans Day: A surprise reunion, a meaningful final flight and a hero’s welcome home
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Summary
This Veterans Day, we’re recognizing recent meaningful moments of care and connection shared between our dedicated employees and our military and veteran community.
Whether they’re employees, guests or active-duty military members flying on assignment, we’re honored to call veterans and service members a part of our family and prioritize their care and comfort on every flight and in every interaction.
For the 30,000+ employees across Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air, serving military members is a deeply personal experience. Whether they’re employees, guests or active-duty military members flying on assignment, we’re honored to call veterans and service members a part of our family and prioritize their care and comfort on every flight and in every interaction.
This Veterans Day, join us in recognizing recent meaningful moments of care and connection shared between our dedicated employees and our military and veteran community.
A surprise reunion
This year alone, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, in partnership with the Honor Flight Network, will fly over 2,000 veterans and their families to Washington, D.C., for a once-in-a-lifetime memorial experience.
While all Honor Flights are special to us, some tug a little deeper at our hearts. For one of our pilots, Alaska Airlines First Officer Joan, it hit home personally: her Uncle Joe, an Army Vietnam veteran, was scheduled to be one of the veterans on an Honor Flight. When we learned this, we rearranged Joan’s schedule so she could pilot the flight and surprise her uncle (and you bet we caught the moment on video!).
A meaningful final flight
Leslie, a Marine Corps veteran, loved routine and respected tradition. His occasional cocktail before dinner was always in the same glass, a vintage Alaska Airlines tumbler — a tribute to his favorite airline. For Leslie, flying with Alaska Airlines also meant flying with family: His wife was an Alaska flight attendant in the early years on Operation Magic Carpet, and his daughter-in-law Gaylene has built a 40-year career at Alaska.
He was known to show off his original Alaska Airlines “Gold Coast Travel” vintage-era mileage card in conversations, which he’d never bothered to replace and kept in his wallet. “He was pretty proud of his airline,” said Gaylene.
Photo caption: Leslie showing off his “Gold Coast Travel” mileage card, with daughter-in-law Gaylene, a 40-year Alaska Airlines employee
Leslie was a lot of things — Alaska Airlines fan, husband, father and grandpa — but he was, first and foremost, a Marine. Born in May 1925 in Redmond, Wash., he joined the United States Marine Corps in January 1944 and served in the World War II Pacific campaign at Majuro Atoll, loading ordnance on dive bombers. After coming home, he joined the Reserves at Sandpoint Naval Air Station, training recruits and earning his bachelor’s in forestry management at the University of Washington. He completed his service in 1951 as a Master Sergeant — the highest rank an enlisted service member can achieve.
In May 2016, Leslie participated in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. with other veterans. When he died this summer, just shy of his 100th birthday, his family requested that his favorite airline transport him to his final resting place. We gladly agreed.
Photo credit: Nasierr J Troche
As Leslie’s final journey approached, teams across Alaska Airlines rallied to ensure every detail was covered through our Fallen Soldier Program. His remains were loaded onto Alaska’s ‘Honoring Those Who Serve’ aircraft on a flight from Houston to Seattle. Our pilots and flight attendants met his family members and provided a tribute announcement onboard. Upon arrival, active-duty Marines stood at attention at the gate to render a salute as the family deplaned.
Every detail and gesture was a testament to our company’s shared commitment to honoring the heroes who have touched our history.
“I cannot begin to tell you what this meant to our family. That the company did what they did to honor my father-in-law,” Gaylene said. “It was a sendoff worthy of a hero.”
A hero’s welcome home to Hawaiʻi
Fourteen Vietnam War veterans from Hawaiʻi returned home on Hawaiian Airlines after a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Washington, D.C., in early October. When they landed, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines employees gathered at the gate and made sure every veteran in the group received a proper hero’s welcome. The trip was completely free for the veterans and made possible through our partnership with the Honor Flight Network’s Lone Eagle program.
Saluting our military and veteran employees
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air have a long history of recruiting military talent. Our Alaska Military Veterans & Allies (MVA) Resource Group supports current and future military and veteran employees with career development, promotes education and awareness, and provides networking opportunities. Learn about how we hire and support veterans.
