‘They Were Treating Me Like a Freak Show’: Burned Veteran Says Girls Secretly Took His Photo at Airport

A veteran who suffered burns on over 38 percent of his body during his fourth tour in Iraq is calling out a group of young girls for the behavior they displayed toward him while he was waiting for a flight at the airport.

According to the veteran turned social media influencer and comedian is Bobby Henline. He suffered severe burns after his Humvee came in contact with a roadside bomb, according to Improv Texas. He says that instead of looking and moving on, the girls "snuck a picture" of him.

Burned Retired Veteran Says, "I Ran Into Some Rude Little Girls at the Airport Today"

In a clip shared by Henline, which has since been reshared by X user @HistorianUSA1, he begins his story by explaining that he ran into some "rude little girls" while waiting for his flight. "This is a rare occasion... but this did happen," he says.

Henline explains that he was sitting at the airport watching people walk back and forth when he noticed three girls, about 11 to 13 years old. "They notice me," he says. But by now, he says he's used to that, adding, "It happens. People notice me."

But instead of continuing on their way, he says the girls came back, walking in the opposite direction with more friends "to make sure they get to see the freak." "Yes, more pointing, more whispering," he says.

As they walked by again, they got even closer, and Henline says he knew exactly what they were doing, telling viewers, "They snuck a picture."

He continues to explain that he had gotten only about three hours of sleep the night prior and had an upcoming comedy show scheduled in Los Angeles, so he was "too tired to deal with this." While he says he has reached a place in his life where he's OK with how he looks and is confident in himself, he also says he’s aware that his appearance can be shocking for some. "I get that I'm shocking to some people," he says. "But when you start doing this crap, raise your kids right, people."

He identified the airport and gate where the incident occurred and told viewers that if they were there and had younger girls with them, "you might want to check on them." Because what if the tables were turned and he wasn't as confident in himself as he is today? He added, "Who knows the damage that would be done.”

He went on to say, "I'm not mad at them, I'm just sad. I hope they learn. I hope they grow,” and ended his video by saying a prayer for the girls, hoping they grow up to be "beautiful inside and outside."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify Henline's account of the encounter, which is based on statements he made in a video shared on social media.