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Monday September 12 2016 - My World Journal #1

9/12/2016

17 Comments

 

Read and respond to the question at the bottom.

From Nazim, a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15, written following 9-11:

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic.

All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the cockpit, immediately, to see the captain. As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had that “All Business” look on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. It was from Delta’s main office in Atlanta and simply read, “All airways over the Continental United States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest airport. Advise your destination.” No one said a word about what this could mean. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. The captain determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander, Newfoundland. He requested approval for a route change from the Canadian traffic controller and approval was granted immediately — no questions asked. We found out later, of course, why there was no hesitation in approving our request.

While the flight crew prepared the airplane for landing, another message arrived from Atlanta telling us about some terrorist activity in the New York area. A few minutes later word came in about the hijackings.

We decided to LIE to the passengers while we were still in the air. We told them the plane had a simple instrument problem and that we needed to land at the nearest airport in Gander, Newfoundland, to have it checked out. We promised to give more information after landing in Gander. There was much grumbling among the passengers, but that’s nothing new! Forty minutes later, we landed in Gander. Local time at Gander was 12:30 PM …. that’s 11:00 AM EST.

There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the world that had taken this detour on their way to the US. After we parked on the ramp, the captain made the following announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have. The reality is that we are here for another reason.”

Then he went on to explain the little bit we knew about the situation in the US. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. The captain informed passengers that Ground control in Gander told us to stay put.

The Canadian Government was in charge of our situation and no one was allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was allowed to come near any of the air crafts. Only airport police would come around periodically, look us over and go on to the next airplane.

In the next hour or so more planes landed and Gander ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the world, 27 of which were US commercial jets. Meanwhile, bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were trying to use their cell phones, but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada . Some did get through, but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines to the U.S. were either blocked or jammed.

Sometime in the evening the news filtered to us that the World Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in a crash. By now the passengers were emotionally and physically exhausted, not to mention frightened, but everyone stayed amazingly calm. We had only to look out the window at the 52 other stranded aircraft to realize that we were not the only ones in this predicament.

We had been told earlier that they would be allowing people off the planes one plane at a time. At 6 PM, Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane would be 11 am the next morning. Passengers were not happy, but they simply resigned themselves to this news without much noise and started to prepare themselves to spend the night on the airplane.

Gander had promised us medical attention, if needed, water, and lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word.
Fortunately we had no medical situations to worry about. We did have a young lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of her. The night passed without incident despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.

About 10:30 on the morning of the 12th a convoy of school buses showed up. We got off the plane and were taken to the terminal where we went through Immigration and Customs and then had to register with the Red Cross.
After that we (the crew) were separated from the passengers and were taken in vans to a small hotel.

We had no idea where our passengers were going. We learned from the Red Cross that the town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people and they had about 10,500 passengers to take care of from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander!

We were told to just relax at the hotel and we would be contacted when the US airports opened again, but not to expect that call for a while. We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started.

Meanwhile, we had lots of time on our hands and found that the people of Gander were extremely friendly. They started calling us the “plane people.” We enjoyed their hospitality, explored the town of Gander and ended up having a pretty good time.

Two days later, we got that call and were taken back to the Gander airport. Back on the plane, we were reunited with the passengers and found out what they had been doing for the past two days.
What we found out was incredible…..

Gander and all the surrounding communities (within about a 75 Kilometer radius) had closed all high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to mass lodging areas for all the stranded travelers. Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up. ALL the high school students were required to volunteer their time to take care of the “guests.”

Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 kilometers from Gander where they were put up in a high school. If any women wanted to be in a women-only facility, that was arranged. Families were kept together.
All the elderly passengers were taken to private homes. Remember that young pregnant lady? She was put up in a private home right across the street from a 24-hour Urgent Care facility. There was a dentist on call and both male and female nurses remained with the crowd for the duration.

Phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. and around the world were available to everyone once a day.

During the day, passengers were offered “Excursion” trips. Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went for hikes in the local forests. Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests.
Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the schools. People were driven to restaurants of their choice and offered wonderful meals. Everyone was given tokens for local laundry mats to wash their clothes, since luggage was still on the aircraft.

In other words, every single need was met for those stranded travellers.

Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. Finally, when they were told that U.S. airports had reopened, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a single passenger missing or late. The local Red Cross had all the information about the whereabouts of each and every passenger and knew which plane they needed to be on and when all the planes were leaving. They coordinated everything beautifully.

It was absolutely incredible.

When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise. Everyone knew each other by name. They were swapping stories of their stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a chartered party flight. The crew just stayed out of their way. It was mind-boggling. Passengers had totally bonded and were calling each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses.

And then a very unusual thing happened.

One of our passengers approached me and asked if he could make an announcement over the PA system. We never, ever allow that. But this time was different. I said “of course” and handed him the mike. He picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone through in the last few days. He reminded them of the hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He continued by saying that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of Lewisporte. He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA 15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide college scholarships for the high school students of Lewisporte.
He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travellers. When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone numbers and addresses, the total was for more than $14,000!

The gentleman, an MD from Virginia , promised to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to donate as well.

As I write this account, the trust fund is at more than $1.5 million and has assisted 134 students in college education.

I just wanted to share this story because we need good stories right now. It gives me a little bit of hope to know that some people in a faraway place were kind to some strangers who literally dropped in on them. It reminds me how much good there is in the world.

In spite of all the rotten things we see going on in today’s world this story confirms that there are still a lot of good people in the world and when things get bad, they will come forward.

NOTE: At first I didn't believe this story.  Many fictional accounts came out of the tragedies of 9/11 as people from across the globe felt the need to connect themselves to the events in New York and Pennsylvania.  As I often do when something seems too good, too perfect, to be true, I dug deeper and found that, indeed, this is a verified letter and a true accounting of their stayover in Newfoundland and that, yes, a trust fund has been set up to support the community.

QUESTION: What is your reaction to this generosity?  Have you heard of, witnessed, or benefitted from a notable act of kindness?  What is something nice you've done for someone?  What random act of kindness COULD you do?

17 Comments
Jessica
9/12/2016 07:36:15 am

This act of kindness was a terrible situation turned into a situation of gratitude and thankfulness. I have heard of a lady that knits slippers for women and children at a womens shelter. Donating time or items to a local food bank is something nice I could do

Reply
Ryan
9/12/2016 07:40:42 am

You could even set up a small auto-pay system to a charity, nothing large, even a dollar or two per month would go a long way in helping people.

Reply
Emily
9/12/2016 07:55:17 am

I've seen a lot of videos about hairdressers walking around cities and giving out free haircuts to homeless people. I think something as small as a haircut or a pair of slippers can really brighten your day, when you have nothing else.

Reply
Ryan Richer
9/12/2016 07:36:54 am

I think that this act of generosity is moving. The people of Delta 15 didn't simply repay a debt. In a situation where so many lost everything, they put the wheels in motion to give so many others a brighter future. It's an exemplar of how we should act in tragedies, by extending a hand to others, an "I can help". Even if it isn't directly related. I suppose the greatest event of generosity in my life would have been when I got to go to Great Wolf's lodge when I was young, due to the Make a Wish foundation. But if I'm being honest, I don't think it really impacted me. What does, is the small, minute things. Like a customer who bought me a chocolate bar for my break, people exchanging kind words put of the blue, simple, genuine acts of kindness, that produce a kind of pay-it-forward mentality. Those dumb little acts make me want to be actively more kind in my everyday life, because what goes around just might come back.

Reply
Miranda
9/12/2016 07:41:56 am

My reaction for this generosity is that so many people are caring enough to help other people when they didn't have a home to be able to go to because they were on a plane heading somewhere. I have witnessed a great thing when a friendnof my family had a premature baby. The baby was born at 5 1/2 months and only weighted 1 lb 2oz everyone got a fund going to help raise money so that the mother could stay in Toronto with her baby and wouldn't have to come back here and leave her baby behind. Something nice i have done for someone is when a elderly woman got hurt i would help her and take care of her. A random act of kindness i could do is give someone lunch if they didn't have anything

Reply
Carson Campbell
9/12/2016 07:44:04 am

I am amazed by how genres people were in this terrible time and setting up a trust fund. Being a total stranger Something nice I have done for someone was look after their house and dog when they were gone on a trip

Reply
Ayj
9/12/2016 07:44:32 am

if you would like to participate in a random act of kindness that doesn't involve money, you could do something as simple as complimenting a stranger sitting beside you or smiling wholeheartedly

Reply
Emily Morin
9/12/2016 07:45:22 am

This article really emphasizes how people are brought together in times of need. The circumstances are incredibly sad, but I think it's amazing how the entire community acted as a whole to make sure the passengers were taken care of without expecting anything in return. I think the best part of it, for me, was how at the end the passengers came out of the experience with a lot of memories, and new friends. The community managed to take a scary situation, and replace the fear with care and generosity, and in the end their kindness resulted in kindness being returned. It reminded me of all of the acts that are taking place in big cities for homeless citizens (people coming together to give clothes, haircuts, food, etc.) but on a mass scale, and it makes me genuinely consider volunteering in a food drive, or local charity.

Reply
Jessica
9/12/2016 07:56:24 am

I fell the exact same way! You could even go more than food drive and do something larger.

Reply
Niles Kagesheongai
9/12/2016 07:49:41 am

Think stuff like this is real good. Shows how good people can be in a difficult spot. I have not witnessed or benefitted from that kinda thing. Something nice I've done for someone? I don't do much, just small stuff to help people out.

Reply
Kyla Toulouse
9/12/2016 07:50:09 am

The generosity from the people of Gander, is moving and is a very great act of kindness in helping those people stuck at the airports in time of need. Delta 15 is a huge thank you to the people of Gander. "You helped us in our time of need, now it's our turn to help you guys for generations to come."

Reply
Jonathan Hamelin
9/12/2016 07:51:33 am

My reaction to his random act of kindness is it just gos to show there are still kind people in this world no matter how many people in this world there are there's always the hand full of nice people in the world we need to appreciate how kind hearted they are never take avantece of them. Just like day before yesterday my friend Heidi Watson herd that I didn't get a cake this year on my b day so they went out and got me a cake out of the blue it filled me full of joy . The random act of kindness no one notices anymore is people holding the door open for you most people won't even notice nowadays because it's a small thing but it's the jester that counts . JONATHAN HAMELIN

Reply
Landon
9/12/2016 07:56:38 am

My reaction to this genorosity is very good, people from this town took in random people and families and gave them food water and anything they needed, something nice I've done is make my moms breakfast in bed, and something nice I could do is hold the door open for people

Reply
Toni
9/12/2016 07:58:25 am

This is a really nice act from the people of Gander, Newfoundland. It's a nice reminder to know that they are people out there with a heart of gold. The nicest thing I've witnessed was in Ottawa, at a Whole Foods, a young mom didn't have enough money for her pampers, food and hygiene products. She looked embarrassed because she didn't have enough money, when she was about to put the items away. A man offered to pay for her all of her stuff. So yeah, that was the nicest thing ever.

Reply
julianne trudeau
9/12/2016 08:00:48 am

I can't believe the mans generosity for organizing such an excellent offer to those secondary students who came out to show support to one another. At times such as the 9/11 incident that shook the world, it was heartwarming to still see other beings come forward and give a helping hand to one another.
In my own experiences, an unfortunate incident occurred involving the loss of my dear friend who's life was taken from him far too young. The community's strength and healing really helped overcome some of the sorrow that was left upon many of the faces who's were effected.
To define your own character as kind to one another, you must stay positive through the most negative objectives in this society. With all the hardship that occurs in our world ONE example of an act of kindness would simply contributing to show your community support and compassion.

Reply
Rain
9/12/2016 08:18:56 am

This act of kindness was so great it sounded fake, completely made up of some persons mind, that's how beautiful it was in my mind. The permanent residents of the towns were amazing doing all they did for the passengers, and the passengers setting up a trust fund to repay them was a fantastic idea. A lot of the time acts like this go unnoticed, or they get noticed and forgotten because as humans we focus more on the negatives. I've done kinda acts and continue to everyday, little ones, but I choose to believe it changes a person's day drastically when they receive them.

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Cameron caicco
9/12/2016 08:19:29 am

I think this act of kindness was amazing because the people on the plain didn't have to donate anything but they did in fact they donated 14,000$.once I was shopping and a old lady dropped some money and I picked it up and ran it to her and she said merry Christmas.

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