What Happened To Catherine Banks?
A California Marine Corps veteran was removed from a Delta Air Lines flight over a T-shirt raising awareness about veteran suicide rates in the U.S.
Catherine Banks had planned to depart from San Francisco on Wednesday, but was unexpectedly asked to leave the plane by a flight attendant who found her shirt to be “threatening.”
Her shirt displayed the message: “Do not give in to the war within. End veteran suicide.” According to Banks, the male flight attendant approached her and stated, “Ma’am, you need to step off the plane.”
Banks expressed confusion and frustration, noting that the message was meant to bring attention to veterans’ struggles and not incite fear.
Marine Veteran Removed from Delta Flight Over ‘Threatening’ Veteran Suicide Awareness T-Shirt
It wasn’t until Catherine Banks stepped off the plane and onto the jet bridge that the flight attendant explained why she was removed.
“He said, ‘That shirt you’re wearing is threatening,'” Banks recounted to NBC.
In disbelief, she responded, “Are you kidding me? I’m a Marine Corps vet. I’m going to see my Marine sister. I’ve served in the Marine Corps for 22 years and worked for the Air Force for 15 years. I’m going to visit her.”
Despite her explanation, the flight attendant remained firm, dismissing her service record. “He said, ‘I don’t care about your service, and I don’t care about her service. The only way you’re getting back on the plane is if you take it off right now,'” Banks recalled.
The incident left Banks stunned, questioning how a shirt intended to raise awareness about veteran mental health could be seen as a threat.
Marine Veteran’s ‘Humiliating’ Experience on Delta Flight After Being Asked to Change Shirt
Catherine Banks, a Marine Corps veteran, found herself in a humiliating situation when she was forced to remove her T-shirt on a Delta flight due to it being deemed “threatening.” Since she wasn’t wearing a bra, Banks had to turn her back to the flight attendant while hurriedly putting on a sweatshirt.
Despite being allowed back on the plane, she was denied the extra-legroom seat she had paid for and was relocated to the back. The flight delay caused her to miss her connecting flight, adding further frustration.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Banks said, “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.”
Marine Veteran’s T-Shirt Controversy: Airline Responds After Ejecting Passenger Over ‘Threatening’ Message
Catherine Banks, a Marine Corps veteran, was wearing a shirt from the Til Valhalla Project when she was forced to remove it on a Delta flight. The shirt, designed to raise awareness about veteran suicide, supports a group that helps veterans’ families purchase memorial plaques and funds therapy for struggling service members.
For Banks, the shirt represented the meaningful work she does for veterans, including a 2016 effort to raise $150,000 to make the home of a Marine quadruple amputee more accessible. When asked why she feels compelled to help others, Banks said, “I just have to. I won’t feel complete if I don’t reach out and see if there is anything I can do.”
Following the incident, a Delta spokesperson expressed interest in hearing directly from Banks to better understand the situation and begin investigating the matter.
We know who Catherine Banks is now. I’d like to know the name of the flight attendant please. Until they release that FA’s name, I won’t be flying on their airline, using their lounge or investing in their company. Please share with all.
Sounds like Delta want Veterans to lose that war.