My personal Pan Am photos are in the above trailer.
"You know, if you went to Japan, you'd be popular because you look like Steve McQueen."He's very popular there," I told the first class cabin passenger.
"Really?" he replied.
I had just finished servicing meals in economy class and went into the first class galley to cook my own meal. It was 1968, my second year as a stewardess. We were flying from Los Angeles to London on the polar route.
Suddenly this handsome man, with beautiful blue eyes, walked into the galley and asked, "Are you Japanese?"
My English had improved since I first started flying, so I felt more confident talking with passengers."Yes", I replied.
I had noticed that this passenger's wife was always sleeping and he was always awake during the flight talking with the stewardesses. As we talked, I took my meal over to the lounge area and he followed me and sat down. It had sofa style seats and a table, like a restaurant. This lounge table was rare among airlines.
This is where I said to him, "You know, you look like Steve McQueen. He's very popular in Japan. If you go there, I'm sure you'll be popular when people see you walking around."
"I've been to Japan a few times," he continued, "and I really love it there.
Soon, two other stewardesses sat down and joined us in the conversation. At one point I said to them, "Doesn't he look like Steve McQueen?"
One of them replied, "Fumiko, that IS... Steve McQueen."
Mister McQueen just sat there with a funny smirk on his face.
***** This story is included in my Amazon Kindle book:
Read 20 pages free on 'look inside'.
Miller
www.netherholmpublications.co.uk