Hello, I happened to stumble on to this board while searching through the internet. My name is Mitch Blackman. I am Al Blackman's son. I would like to thank those of you who celebrated Al's 65th anniversary with him on July 17th. Al appreciated the recognition by his coworkers.
Please allow me to give you a brief insight into Al Blackman from an 'inside perspective'. Al does not continue to work due to a lack of other interests or because his wife throws him out of the house. He does so because he identifies his personal self worth, to a large extent, with being productive. Over the years I can recall many of his work related stories going way back where he would come home and talk about things that happened on the job. The common thread through all of them - over the years was how he, with the combined effort of his coworkers, were able to accomplish something on the job. Sometimes simple things such as making a repair that avoided a delay to fabricating parts in a structural repair that would otherwise have resulted in a costly and time consuming ferry to Tulsa. Al is, and has always been, most proud of his efforts that contributed to the success of the company. And he has always enjoyed working with like minded individuals. He comes to work every day eager to face new challenges which present new ways to make a contribution.
Over the years, looking at Al Blackman's career from my unique perspective, I would have to conclude that Al is as close as you could come to a model employee. He is and has always been eager to come to work. He wants to be part of a team that can accomplish good things. He has always been committed to the greater good of the airline. He has always been willing to put in extra effort to realize a successful outcome of events. He has always been aware that the success of the airline comes from the combined efforts of individuals and he has always been more than willing to contribute his unique talents to this end. Al is mostly modest and does not seek or expect praise for his accomplishments. Al is the kind of guy who comes to work everyday and gives the best he can.
Al's contribution over 65 years is a rare and significant milestone that may never again be repeated. In today's business climate, it is not surprising that this event passed without any meaningful effort to recognize this by the company's top officers. The people running American today are not airline people. They are business school graduates who are concerned with little besides the company's spread sheets and their own prosperity - often at the expense of those who make the airline what it is - employees like Al Blackman. The people who built the airline and this industry have come and gone. Had someone with the stature and significance of a CR Smith NOT recognized Al in some meaningful way - then this would have been a great dissapointment. I believe American's top officers and those on the board who are supposed to be leading this company can learn something significant from Al Blackman. 65 years of dedication to the greater good. CR Smith would be proud.
Regards
Mitchell Blackman
