Naturally, email forwards clog our inbox as we are sure do yours. Few are deemed worth sharing, but this one though, true or not, definitely is. It is also very timely considering a neighbor of our street just had their son return from a tour in Iraq. Perhaps today will be the day we stroll down there to thank him...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Sack Lunches
I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my
assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. I'm glad I have a
good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap, I thought.
Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and
filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to
start a conversation.
"Where are you headed?" I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
"Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then
we're being deployed to Afghanistan."
After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack
lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours
before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help
pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.
"No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base."
His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.
"Take a lunch to all those soldiers." She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.
"My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for
him." Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers
were seated.
Then she stopped at my seat and asked, "Which do you like better - beef or chicken?"
"Chicken," I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. "This is your thanks."
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane,
heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. "I saw what you did.
I want to be part of it. Here, take this." He handed me twenty-five dollars.
Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down
the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked. I hoped he was
not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on
my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, "I want to shake your hand."
Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain's hand.
With a booming voice he said, "I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.
Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs.
A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his
hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.
When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip
to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. "It will take you some time to reach the base. You will be wanting another sandwich. God Bless You."
Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their
fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a
prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all
for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals .... it seemed so little.
********
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check
made payable to, "The United States of America", for an amount, "up to and
including my life."
That is the meaning of Honor .....
I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my
assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. I'm glad I have a
good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap, I thought.
Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and
filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to
start a conversation.
"Where are you headed?" I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
"Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then
we're being deployed to Afghanistan."
After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack
lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours
before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help
pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.
"No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base."
His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.
"Take a lunch to all those soldiers." She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.
"My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for
him." Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers
were seated.
Then she stopped at my seat and asked, "Which do you like better - beef or chicken?"
"Chicken," I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. "This is your thanks."
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane,
heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. "I saw what you did.
I want to be part of it. Here, take this." He handed me twenty-five dollars.
Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down
the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked. I hoped he was
not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on
my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, "I want to shake your hand."
Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain's hand.
With a booming voice he said, "I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.
Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs.
A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his
hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.
When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip
to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. "It will take you some time to reach the base. You will be wanting another sandwich. God Bless You."
Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their
fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a
prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all
for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals .... it seemed so little.
********
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check
made payable to, "The United States of America", for an amount, "up to and
including my life."
That is the meaning of Honor .....
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