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Every Seat has a Story: Grandpa's Unexpected Visit

rcuzick
Explorer C

I’d like to tell you a story about my dad, whose giant heart and selflessness recently saved the day and allowed my kids to get to Washington, D.C. for a visit. My kids Trenton (11) and Sydney (12) live in Kansas City (MCI) full-time. I am active duty military stationed in Virginia, so I flew the kids to Washington, D.C. (DCA) because it was a direct flight. This was Trenton’s first flight since he was a baby, and was also the first time I was able to have my kids visit for longer than a few days because of my military obligations. The morning of June 23, my fiancée Erika and I were driving to DCA to pick up the kids from the airport. About an hour into our drive, my Dad called and said that Southwest would not let the kids fly because of large storms coming into the DCA area. As is policy, Southwest will not allow unaccompanied minors to fly on flights that may be diverted or cancelled due to weather or other operational disruptions. My dad mentioned that the only option was for the kids to fly into Baltimore (BWI) the following morning or arrive at DCA in the late afternoon. I hung up with my Dad unsure if the trip or pre-arranged plans would be possible. I had a hotel room booked and tours scheduled at the National Mall and throughout D.C., and I knew that it likely would not happen anymore. The kids had been looking forward to this trip for months, and now they were waiting at MCI devastated. Just as I thought all was lost, my dad called me back and said that Southwest gave him a great deal on a ticket and would be flying with my kids to make sure that everything went off without a hitch! Without any prior preparation, a phone charger or newspaper, my dad dropped everything and boarded a flight with the kids. When I heard that he was doing this for his grandkids and me, I was almost in tears. It was amazing. Erika and I continued on to DCA, where I had a chance to hug my dad and say hello for about five minutes before his return flight home. Thankfully, the kids, Erika and I got to do everything as planned. The first day we visited Arlington National Cemetery, JFK’s burial site and had dinner in Georgetown. Trenton is a huge history buff, so this was a big deal to him. The following day we walked the entire National Mall and saw the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, and also toured the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. My dad made these moments possible, and he is truly a hero!!!! Thank you, Dad! dc2