ATLANTA — Among the passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are several people who have finally made their way back to the United States from the Middle East. Shirah Davis-Broady's journey brought her to Atlanta with a few more twists and turns to go until she finally made it home.
She said she was on diplomatic business with the State Department in the Middle East. Davis-Broady flew out of Israel on Sunday. Her plane stopped for a new crew in Greece, then the plane refueled in Ireland. She finally landed in Washington, D.C. Monday night before reaching Atlanta on Tuesday.
"It was mostly people with pets and young children, so it was a little bit of a Noah's Ark," Davis-Broady said. "It was a relief to just not have to listen for rockets. You hear the siren, you go to the bomb shelter and hope for the best."
Davis-Broady plans to head home to New Mexico on Wednesday with her cats, Shackleton and Paddington. Davis-Broady said it's a relief to be a little closer to home after a harrowing week in Israel.
"The flight was very much delayed by rocket fire," Davis-Broady said. "We were in the airport shuttling back and forth between the bomb shelters and the gate. Then we finally got out. For these guys, the cats, it was 40 hours in the crate minimum. No food, no water. I can't say they're fans."
The U.S. Government, nonprofits and humanitarian organizations have worked to bring Americans home. Officials said nearly 3,000 people have died in the Middle Eastern conflict. Davis-Broady said she's still concerned about the millions seeking shelter in the Middle East. Bomb shelters, she said, were filling up quickly. Davis-Broady said the few able to get on a flight to America should count their blessings.