Norfolk Southern Pays Its Respects at the National Cemetery in Chattanooga

NS is a class act!!!!!Joe Krasko usn

Bryan,

   NS continues to be the Class act in modern Railroading, to an old Military CID Agent like myself, NS rates bigger than life.  Proud of the way they run their business, God's Speed & Well Done NS.

PCRR/Dave

Great American Company and yes, a "class act".

NS is such a class act..well done!

You have to wonder what people leaving the cemetery think of it.

We would think it's a great PR effort on NS's part, but what would a non-train-fan think of it? Corporate exploitation, perhaps?

I'm not saying it is that, I'm only wondering what someone with no interest in trains at all would think...

p51,

    Take a real close look at the saying at the end of everyone of my post.  Looks like NS lives by it also.  However most all people, especially Veterans, will understand the Black Engines with the Red White & Blue standing guard outside a brave Military Mans Memorial Service.  A fitting tribute by NS for an active duty Navy Petty Officer killed in action.

 

 

PCRR/Dave

When conrail split day came i had my choice of either road to carry on my career, i chose CSX cause they were closer to my hse. What a class outfit the NS has become under Wick Moormans tenure . What an American company should be especially being in the eye of Americans every day. I am proud to be a railroad conductor. Great job Norfolk Southern !

Remember that Chattanooga is a BIG railroad town.  Always has been.  Tennessee LOVES the military.  Always has.  Given the outpouring of both private and corporate support to the families affected by this terrorist incident, I doubt many non-train fans, if any, would even think of "exploitation".  Not in Chattanooga.  And especially since 6920 has "HONORING OUR VETERANS" in big ol' white letters on her side.  

 

Bryan

USN '85-'05

 

 

The reason I asked the question was before I posted to this thread, I showed that photo to a combat vet (retired Ranger) I work with, presented in the spirit that the thread started off with (as I, too, think it was a nice thing). He immediately said, "Terrific, another company looking to cash out on dead vets to boost their PR status..."

Then I started wondering. Vets can get pretty jaded and crass (I'm a vet myself, by the way, a former US Army Captain) and I started wondering how some might feel about this.

Let's face facts, plenty of vets have made a lifetime hobby out of looking for things to be offended by.

I think this excellent USMC-themed cartoon says it best:

 

To be fair, I guess it's tough not to get jaded when you see so many, "Memorial Day Sales" at stores and things of that nature...

For every vet that sees it as a corporation capitalizing on a deceased soldier I bet you can find just as many if not more who see it as a wonderful thing to do.  Everyone is entitled to their feelings on the matter.

I suspect NS makes decisions on special paint schemes based either on their "heart" or their "head".  In my opinion, the veterans and heritage units were most likely done from the heart whereas the first responder and Go Rail units were done from the head. 

 

By way of explanation concerning the latter two; the Go Rail came out following an extended period of service disruptions caused by bad weather and poor service level forecasting and planning.  The first responder unit came out following a number of serious oil train derailments (none on NS, of course) when Federal, state and local governments began calling for more oversight of the railroads and hazmat transport in particular.  I see both these as being PR related moves.

 

Curt

Very nice gesture.

I'm a vet and what I see in that photograph is nothing more than the show of respect to those five as well as those already buried in the back ground. A class act by a major company. Need to see more of that sort of thing..

Ditto !

Very moving tribute 

I say again NS is a class act....that's all folks...j krasko usn-911 fdny(ret)