Boy were they happy.

 
Flying the boys home.
November 1973 Sheba our three-year-old daughter and myself were flying on what they called a MAC flight from Honolulu.  The flight, on a PanAm 747 was mostly loaded with US Marines coming back from Vietnam.  A joyous flight for sure.
To back up, Sheba was back then an employee of American Airlines and were flying stand-by.  A space available ticket.  Meaning we get on a flight whenever seats were available.  Early that afternoon we had missed two flights because of no available seats. 
The reason we were on a MAC flight is Pan Am decided to fly a bunch of eager Marines back home.  The Pan Am flight was not a scheduled flight but Pan Am decided on the spare of the moment this flight could be a charter flight for the military.  So since Pan Am made this flight available and with lots of extra room, Sheba, daughter, and I were transferred to tis flight to San Francisco.  We too were elated and almost as happy as the Marines returning home.
I must admit the flight mood was almost festive and party-like.  Flight attendants were strutting up and down the aisles serving the boys with whatever Pan Am had to serve them.  Attendants were wearing some of the Marine’s hats.  The flat brimmed hats with indented crown.  The smoky bear look.
Sheba and I sat up at the bulkhead with our daughter.  One of the Marine gentlemen came up and sat with us and chatted a bit.  He said he had a daughter about our daughter’s age and was anxious to get home.  A very nice visit.  However, I could only imagine the horrific experiences most of them had.  Not a good thought.  Some of us thought the Vietnam war was senseless and without merit.
But anyway since this was a red-eye flight we were scheduled to land about six AM the coming morning.  Later we all got our instructions to return seatbacks to its upright position, stow away tray tables, and flight attendants buckle up and prepare for a landing.  The aircraft began it’s descent into the San Francisco sky.  As soon as the landing gears squealed and touched the ground a rousing cheer with clapping hands filled the main cabin from happy returning home marines.  They did what was expected of them and now they are home.