A Delta airlines passenger said this week that she was stopped from singing the national anthem while aboard a plane, according to The New York Times.
Passenger Pamela Gaudry said she wanted to sing the song in honor of the fallen soldier who was being carried home in a casket aboard the fight. An honor guard unloaded the casket of the fallen soldier, Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, who died in an Oct. 4 attack in Niger, The Times reported.
Gaudry started asking passengers to join in singing, Fox-5 in Atlanta reported.
She said a flight attendant asked her not to sing because it might make people from other countries uncomfortable.
"I couldn't put up with that," Gaudry told The Associated Press. "I wouldn't be offended if I was in their country.
Gaudry posted a video on Facebook, which attracted 778,000 views by Monday afternoon, in which she explained what happened.
"The chief flight attendant came back to my seat and she kneeled down and she said, 'It is against company policy to do what you're doing,'" Gaudry said. "And I said, 'The national anthem? And there's a soldier onboard?' And she said, 'Yes, you cannot sing the national anthem. It is against company policy.'"
Gaudry, who had been flying from Philadelphia to Atlanta, said she stayed in her seat and put her head down after the Delta flight attendants approached her, the New York Post reported. She said she regretted doing that.
Anthony Black, a spokesman for Delta, said that there is not a policy about singing the national anthem, period.
Delta said "a Delta honor guard, a group of employees, many of whom are veterans, volunteer to greet every plane that carries a fallen soldier at the airport in Atlanta, as well as those in Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Washington," according to The Times.
Gaudrys decision comes as controversy surrounds the national anthem, specifically with athletes kneeling during the anthem as it plays before sports games, The Times reported.
President Donald Trump has been fairly critical of NFL players who have chosen to kneel for the song, according to the Times.
Gaudry said she hopes people use her experience to be more patriotic.
If it instigates a spiritual and patriotic feeling in this country, Im thrilled, Gaudry said of her video. Im not real thrilled with the attention to myself.
She said she hopes no one takes their frustrations out on Delta, Fox-5 reported.
"Evidently, they had a flight attendant that made some bad decisions in trying to make this situation go away. They are going to do some training for the future," she said. "Delta was very reverent and let the honor guards do a wonderful thing to honor each and every soldier that comes home with this beautiful tribute. For just this reason, I personally do not believe in a boycott of Delta."
Passenger Pamela Gaudry said she wanted to sing the song in honor of the fallen soldier who was being carried home in a casket aboard the fight. An honor guard unloaded the casket of the fallen soldier, Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, who died in an Oct. 4 attack in Niger, The Times reported.
Gaudry started asking passengers to join in singing, Fox-5 in Atlanta reported.
She said a flight attendant asked her not to sing because it might make people from other countries uncomfortable.
"I couldn't put up with that," Gaudry told The Associated Press. "I wouldn't be offended if I was in their country.
Gaudry posted a video on Facebook, which attracted 778,000 views by Monday afternoon, in which she explained what happened.
"The chief flight attendant came back to my seat and she kneeled down and she said, 'It is against company policy to do what you're doing,'" Gaudry said. "And I said, 'The national anthem? And there's a soldier onboard?' And she said, 'Yes, you cannot sing the national anthem. It is against company policy.'"
Gaudry, who had been flying from Philadelphia to Atlanta, said she stayed in her seat and put her head down after the Delta flight attendants approached her, the New York Post reported. She said she regretted doing that.
Anthony Black, a spokesman for Delta, said that there is not a policy about singing the national anthem, period.
Delta said "a Delta honor guard, a group of employees, many of whom are veterans, volunteer to greet every plane that carries a fallen soldier at the airport in Atlanta, as well as those in Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Washington," according to The Times.
Gaudrys decision comes as controversy surrounds the national anthem, specifically with athletes kneeling during the anthem as it plays before sports games, The Times reported.
President Donald Trump has been fairly critical of NFL players who have chosen to kneel for the song, according to the Times.
Gaudry said she hopes people use her experience to be more patriotic.
If it instigates a spiritual and patriotic feeling in this country, Im thrilled, Gaudry said of her video. Im not real thrilled with the attention to myself.
She said she hopes no one takes their frustrations out on Delta, Fox-5 reported.
"Evidently, they had a flight attendant that made some bad decisions in trying to make this situation go away. They are going to do some training for the future," she said. "Delta was very reverent and let the honor guards do a wonderful thing to honor each and every soldier that comes home with this beautiful tribute. For just this reason, I personally do not believe in a boycott of Delta."
