'Brought Me To Tears': Blue Angels Salute Was Personal For Some North Texas Residents
MCKINNEY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Wednesday's salute to frontline workers by the Navy's Blue Angels became personal for some North Texas residents who are affected directly by the coronavirus pandemic.
Health care workers, first responders and other "essential" workers have been battling COVID-19 for about two months now. Wednesday became a day for residents to honor those workers with the help of the Blue Angels.
Together on bridges over freeways, the rooftops of hospitals and from their backyards, residents watched from 11 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. as the Blue Angels soared over the North Texas skies.
"Knowing that they are beside us and behind us in incredible," Ginger Thomas said.
Thomas is an ER nurse at Baylor Scott and White McKinney, and she was joined by her fellow coworkers in front of the hospital. She said lives are being lost and saved every day at her hospital.
"The added stress of not knowing what exactly it does and who it's going to affect is the thing that bothers us the most," Thomas said.
Workers and residents captured the moments as the jets flew their path throughout North Texas -- from McKinney to Fort Worth.
"It was amazing, it gave me goosebumps," Jennifer Gilmore, a patient care tech at Baylor Scott and White McKinney, said.
In Dallas, Sandy Romo brought her children to Medical City Dallas to watch the air show. She said she has a family member who is dealing with COVID-19.
"It kind of brought me to tears watching it," Romo said. "... As we looked over there and saw everyone on the top of the roof at the hospital thinking about all the lives they are saving."
Within 35 minutes, the Blue Angels flew over hospitals in McKinney, Dallas, Grapevine, Arlington, Fort Worth and more.
It was a nice salute for frontline workers before they had to return to the fight.