Dying Vietnam veteran Jerry Meekins is getting his money back from Spirit Airlines' tightfisted boss after all.

After a week of criticism from veterans around the nation, Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he would personally refund Meekins' $197 airfare, and that the discount carrier would make a $5,000 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

"He called me personally, and I'm going to take him at his word," Meekins told FoxNews.com. "He was apologetic and said he'd made a mistake."

The move was a sharp reversal for Baldanza, who as recently as Thursday had stubbornly refused to refund the cancer-stricken Marine's money, even though Meekins' doctor told him he could not fly.

"Sometimes we make mistakes," Baldanza said. "In my statements regarding Mr. Meekins' request for a refund, I failed to explain why our policy on refunds makes Spirit Airlines the only affordable choice for so many travelers, and I did not demonstrate the respect or the compassion that I should have, given his medical condition and his service to our country.