Last Wednesday, October 16, a Marine Corps veteran, Catherine Banks, experienced an unsettling incident at San Francisco International Airport that left her shocked and humiliated. As she boarded her Delta Air Lines flight, eager to visit her Marine sister, she never expected that her shirt—a simple message to support veterans struggling with mental health—would lead to her being forced off the plane.
Catherine had just gotten comfortable in her seat when a male flight attendant approached her. She remembered how he called out, “Ma’am, ma’am.” Confused, she looked around to see who he was speaking to.
“I looked around, like, ‘Who was he talking to?’ And it was me,” Catherine said, explaining how she felt caught off guard. When he finally told her, “You need to get off the plane,” Catherine was stunned. “I was like, ‘What did I do?’” she recalled.
Obeying his request, Catherine got up and walked to the jet bridge, still unsure why she was being removed. It was only once they were off the plane that the flight attendant explained. “He said that shirt you’re wearing is threatening,” she recounted. Her shirt had the message: “Do not give in to the war within. End veteran suicide.”
Surprised and hurt, Catherine tried to explain herself. “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,’” she explained, hoping this would clear things up. But the flight attendant didn’t seem moved by her story.
According to Catherine, he replied, “I don’t care about your service, and I don’t care about her service. The only way you’re going to get back on the plane is if you take it off right now.”
Faced with no other choice, Catherine was forced to remove her shirt right there on the jet bridge. Since she wasn’t wearing a bra, she turned her back to the flight attendant, feeling deeply embarrassed and humiliated. “I feel like they just took my soul away,” she shared later. “I’m not a bad person, and that T-shirt, I should be allowed to support myself and veterans.”
After complying, Catherine was finally allowed to reboard the plane, but her troubles didn’t end there. Instead of returning to the seat with extra legroom that she’d paid for, she was directed to the back of the plane. To make matters worse, the delay caused her to miss her connecting flight, adding to her frustration and disappointment.
Following the incident, Delta Air Lines reached out to Catherine to address the situation. According to a spokesperson, “the matter with the customer has been resolved.” Delta’s Contract of Carriage allows the airline to remove passengers if their “conduct, attire, hygiene, or odor creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to other passengers.”
This incident has sparked strong reactions, especially among veterans and their supporters. Many people are questioning whether Catherine’s message of support for veterans should have been deemed offensive. What’s your take on this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!