On a plane trip you meet a lot of people who are new to you and are not a part of your mundane everyday life. When the seating is three across, Lorraine and I usually find a very interesting person sitting in the third seat next to us. Stockbrokers, nurses, interior decorators and, once a U.N. Ambassador, have filled that third seat.

Last week, on Sept. 14, we flew across the country to San Diego. A man in a red pullover cap sat down next to us. We were flying from MacArthur Airport on Southwest Airlines. The temperature was mild and we wondered why this gentleman was wearing a red ski, pullover wool hat on such a day. Actually, we never did find out. We don't know anything about his hair! He never took off that red cap for the whole 51/2 hours.

He certainly was no shrinking violet. He spoke, almost non-stop for the whole flight. He was from Brooklyn originally, but he now lives in Carlsbad, CA. He had not lost his Brooklyn speech patterns. He travels back to New York every year on September 11 to pay homage to those who perished there. He wondered why every American does not do the same.

When we changed planes in Las Vegas, we played some slot machines and some video poker. We spoke with this gentleman at length and he regaled us with tales of Brooklyn growing up. Stickball games, famous people from his block and how he misses New York, etc.

I complimented him on his yearly mission to Ground Zero and in an instant, it happened. He told us that he lost two old Brooklyn pals in the disaster of September 11.

In a sudden burst of energy he rolled up his left pant leg and there it was. He had a 14-inch tattoo on the outside of his calf that was wondrous and magnificent. It was multicolored and had the richest reds, blues and greens that I had ever seen in a body ornament. The inscription read "Angels Never Die." It was a picture of the two World Trade Center buildings, an American Bald Eagle, the Statue of Liberty and a waving, flying, curled American Flag. It was beautiful!

We were dumbstruck! This rather common man was a beacon of patriotism and love. Who cares about his crazy hat? He was a truly interesting and inspiring partner on a trip across America!