A woman claims she was asked to cover up on a Delta flight after a flight attendant told her she was wearing a 'threatening' T-shirt - which actually just had a message about veteran suicide.
Catherine Banks, a Marine Corps veteran, was set to fly out of San Francisco on Wednesday when she says she was abruptly asked to leave the plane or take off the shirt. The shirt bore the message: "Do not give in to the war within. End veteran suicide."
Banks has been fundraising for veterans for years and loved this shirt. She says she was shocked when she claimed that a flight attendant had told her it was 'threatening' and that she must take it off or leave the airplane altogether.
Banks claims the male flight attendant approached her and said, "Ma'am...you need to get off the plane." She says it wasn't until she had disembarked and stood on the jet bridge that the attendant explained why she was being asked to leave.
She says she tearfully pulled on a hoodie and took off her shirt before she got back on her flight, which was now delayed because of the incident. "He said that shirt you're wearing is threatening," Banks told NBC. "I said, "Are you kidding me? I'm a Marine Corps vet. 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."'
Despite Banks' service record, she says the flight attendant remained unmoved. The flight attendant allegedly told her he 'doesn't care' before repeating the order that she removes the shirt, reports Daily Mail.
When the Marine Corps veteran was finally allowed back on the plane, she claims she wasn't permitted to sit in the extra-legroom seat for which she had paid an additional fee and was directed to a seat at the back of the aircraft. On top of that, the flight's delay resulted in Banks missing her connecting flight. She described the experience as 'humiliating.'
"I feel like they just took my soul away. I'm not a bad person, and that T-shirt. I should be allowed to support myself and veterans," she said. According to the United Service Organizations, veteran suicides are currently at an all-time high.
In 2021, research revealed that "30,177 active duty personnel and veterans who served in the military after 9/11 have died by suicide - compared to the 7,057 killed in combat in those same 20 years," the U.S.O. states on its website.
Banks's shirt is sold by the Til Valhalla Project, which raises funds for families to purchase memorial plaques honoring their loved ones. They also assist struggling veterans in paying for therapy sessions. Banks stated that the T-shirt encapsulated the work she does for other veterans.
In 2016, she gained media attention for her efforts to raise $150,000 to make a Marine's home more accessible after he lost his arms and legs in Afghanistan. A representative for the airline told SFGATE that they are keen to speak with the passenger. "Delta is seeking to make contact with the customer directly to hear more so we can begin to look into what occurred," they stated.
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