God Bless Bangor, Maine!
by Maj. Jason Benefield, U.S. Army
November 9, 2004
(AgapePress) - I recently returned from a deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. For deployed service members, travel days are typically very long days that involve much waiting around -- and this proved true for my group.We departed the Middle East with two programmed stops in Europe and one stop in the U.S. before we reached home. At the first stop, we stayed on the aircraft without getting a chance to even stretch our legs. At our second stop in Shannon, Ireland, everybody deplaned, got a bite to eat, and did some quick shopping at the duty-free store. Our visit in Shannon was less than an hour -- a very unremarkable stop. Weary from hours on our jet, we all wanted to just knock out our last stop and get home to our families.
As we arrived in Bangor, Maine, customs officials met us at the plane and processed us through customs in the most efficient and polite manner you could imagine. We all then deplaned and made our way into the airport.
When we reached the walkway to the main terminal, we could see dozens of people waving flags and cheering. This town named for an Irish hymn appeared to be celebrating something at the airport, and none of us knew what. As the first member of our party reached the celebrants, they began to shake hands and thank, and in some cases embrace, each military member for their service.
Did they have us mistaken for somebody else? How did they even know that we were coming in to that airport? These questions and many emotions raced through my mind as I descended the ramp toward the group.
I had thought of nothing but seeing my family for the past 24 hours, and it never once crossed my mind that anybody outside of my family and closest friends had the least bit of interest in my return. Though I had served proudly during my short time in the Middle East, I also felt that I did not deserve this kind of hero's welcome and was overcome with emotion. Bangor did not give me a vote on what kind of welcome I received. They made sure each service member who passed through their town had a memorable return to the United States.
Besides the cheers and hugs and waving flags, the veterans and citizens who greeted us had also set up a hospitality room. The room included refreshments and dozens of cell phones to call family and confirm our arrival time at our final destination. These great people thought of every practical way to boost our spirits.
Our whole group buzzed around in the hospitality room, suddenly enjoying the long trip home. Young people asked each of us to sign T-shirts that commemorated our brief stop in this town as if we were celebrities. President Bush, who won re-election the day we set down in Bangor, had recently visited Bangor, and I was sure that our welcome had rivaled even his.
Come to find out, President Bush had actually participated in welcoming troops back to the U.S during his visit. I am sure the troops returning that day saw as we did: an island of red in a sea of blue welcoming them back home in what has to be one of the most patriotic communities in our country.
As we visited and enjoyed the hospitality showered upon us, we learned a few facts about Bangor and the people who met us. Bangor was once considered the lumber capital of the world and is the birthplace of the legendary Paul Bunyan. I do not know for sure that any of the folks we met were Paul's descendants, but the size of their hearts indicated that they all were. These people arrange to meet every scheduled plane load of service members returning to the states.
Many who greeted us were veterans, with each conflict back to World War II represented in the cheering crowd. I truly felt that I should be celebrating these people instead of vice versa. True to the nature of heroes, none of them checked to see how long we were gone or how much action we saw or whether our service was equal to theirs before they came out -- they believed and acted on the premise that every service member who returns to the United States deserves that kind of welcome. That tells me everything I need to know about them and their town.
As I stood signing a young man's T-shirt as if I were a rock star or the President himself, let me share with you all an overwhelmed boy from Alabama could think to write above his name:
God Bless Bangor, Maine!
U.S. Army Major Jason Benefield (OPFORTRIPOD@aol.com) is stationed at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. His hometown is Heflin, Alabama.
