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LUV Note from the Sky

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I recently had the wonderful opportunity on one of my flights to meet a World War II veteran who served on the U.S.S Intrepid and who now  is on the Board of Directors for that ship.  This was on a flight from West Palm Beach to Long Island, and when Felix Novelli came on the plane, he was quite charming and was wearing his hat and jacket displaying the U.S.S. Intrepid.  With his permission, we made an announcement to the Passengers, and Vera the "A" Flight Attendant sang a song in his honor.  The entire plane lit up in delight, and Passengers came forward to say hi to Felix and shake his hand.  This was one of those magical flights when you knew that we were doing a lot more than going from point A to B, and I was so happy to be on it.  Felix said that all that he ever wants is a "thank you" and for people to just remember--by the time he left the flight he knew that we all cared. 

During the flight, we were able to visit, and Felix told me that when he was very young he joined the military.  He said he wasn't much of a fighter, but "boy I could run fast because I was always getting in trouble."  On one occasion, he got into a fight in a bar--apparently the entire bar broke out in this rumble and tore the place up when the U.S.S. Intrepid had stopped at a port.  Well, in keeping with his running ability--he ran out of there and fell to his knees on the outside of the bar.  Shortly after that, a Military Policeman (MP) came from the ship to get things in order and ran into Felix.  The MP asked Felix if he had been in that fight in the bar, and of course, Felix said "no" and that he had been outside the entire time.  Knowing he couldn't prove that Felix was in the bar, the MP hit him with the billy club (not that hard, but hard enough) and sent him back to the ship.

Fast forwarding to a few years ago, the U.S.S. Intrepid had a reunion.  Felix sits on the board of directors, and when he was calling people for the reunion, he found the name of the MP that he had first met all those many years ago.  Felix called him and asked if he could come.  The MP told Felix that he wasn't doing very well, but if his nurse or his granddaughter could bring him, he would be there.  The reunion was being held in San Francisco, and the former MP lived in Sacramento, so Felix insisted that he would come and get him if needed, but at all cost, he needed to be there.  The MP was able to get a ride to the reunion, and when Felix saw him he went up and whacked the MP and said, "Now, we are even!"  Felix explained that the MP had the same look in his eye's as when they had met those earlier years.  Time, age, and the condition of one's body does not change the understanding between sailors. They became closer than ever and remained so until the MP passed away. 

I left the aircraft to get some food, and Felix was surrounded by our Passengers in the gate area--it was delightful to see!  I ran over and told Felix I just wanted one more kiss, and with a grin, he looked at all the Passengers and said:  "Look, that's what you get when you are a WWII Vet!"  Again, we all smiled, and it was a moment bigger than life!   Can you tell that I fell in love with this guy?

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