### Marine Vet Forced to Change Attire on Delta Flight Over "Threatening" T-Shirt

A former Marine's attempt to draw attention to the critical issue of veteran suicides almost ended with her being removed from a Delta Airlines flight. Catherine Banks, a Marine Corps veteran who served for 22 years, was told by a flight attendant at San Francisco International Airport that she needed to deboard the aircraft due to her "threatening" clothing.

Banks was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the message "Do Not Give in to the War Within... End Veteran Suicide" when the incident occurred earlier this week. Startled by the directive, she expressed her shock, questioning the flight attendant with, "Are you kidding me?" Despite explaining her long service history and her current travel to see her sister, who is also in the Marines, the flight attendant maintained his stance, replying, "I don't care about your service" and insisted she couldn't reboard until she changed her shirt.

Overwhelmed by anxiety but complying with the demand, Banks found herself on the jetway bridge, where she quickly switched her t-shirt for a sweatshirt after asking the flight attendant to turn around. Although she was eventually allowed back on the plane, the delay caused her to miss a connecting flight.

The organization has not clarified what exactly was deemed threatening about Banks' shirt. The statistics underscore the gravity of the issue she was highlighting: data shows that approximately 22 veterans die by suicide each day, with the rate of suicide across all branches of the armed forces standing at 32 percent.

Delta Airlines has yet to respond to queries regarding the incident.