Marshall Tucker Band Veteran Remembers Returning Home From Vietnam
Marshall Tucker Band front man, Doug Gray, has unwavering support for our troops because of his own service.
Doug Gray is the last surviving original member of the Marshall Tucker Band, and at 71 he is recalling his own experience returning to the United States from the Vietnam War.
According to an interview with Fox News, Gray was waiting at the San Francisco airport to make a connecting flight home when an elderly lady offered him her seat on the plane. He was in uniform and unsure of how he would be received at home. Gray had heard stories of soldiers buying clothes from street people in order to ditch their uniforms and avoid the harassment from civilians upon their return. Heart breaking. Gray was limping a little bit because his leg had fallen asleep while waiting. He made it clear to the woman that he wasn't injured, afraid that she misunderstood his limp. She insisted anyway. The compassionate woman shared kind words with him and thanked him for his sacrifice, and it has stayed with him all of these years.
Thank you to all of our veterans, who have lived through experiences that I can never understand. Every day I wake up feeling incredibly lucky for all that I have. Thank you for the peace of mind you have given up in order to provide it for your fellow Americans.