Something I wanted to share...

Orlando's LOVESLAVE · Post by **Orlando's LOVESLAVE** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:05 pm

This was sent to me in an e-mail. I wanted to share it with all of you. I though it was very neat. I love the nice gestures people do for our soldiers.

Sack Lunches
A forwarded e-mail from retired Master Chief Mike Hobbs.

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. 'Great Lakes Air Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq.

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 Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard 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 Chicago. 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. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - 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 in Chicago 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. It will be about time for a 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 of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'"

CygnusX1 · Post by **CygnusX1** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:59 am

That's a awesome article OLS. Thanks for sharing that with us.

That should go to the Veterans' thread as well.

I love the quote at the end. I think I just found my new sig!

The article pretty much sums up how people can change the life of a
servicemember - no matter what country of origin - by a simple act of
kindness.

Those men and women are hundreds and thousands of miles from home,
unaccustomed to people even recognizing them on the street with
a "hello"...much less buying them a meal!

What an act of unconditional generousity. We could all learn something
from that.

I am a Navy veteran, like the author of the article. Where I work, I
support Marines. I love my job. I actually look forward to going in to
work every day, simply because of who I serve.

We have a tradition here (and the timing of OLS's post is perfect) of
bringing a Marine (who can't make it home for Thanksgiving) home with
us. They celebrate with us, and it takes some of the homesickness away.

But we also give thanks and recognize those far away in-country that are
doing the best they can, and celebrating Thanksgiving there the best they
can - even if it means eating a turkey MRE in a foxhole while on
graveyard watch in the desert.

Good stuff OLS.

It's great to know that there are still people out there that actually care
about those who are keeping us safe from those who wish to kill us,
instead of protesting and belittling them.

God bless 'em.

Thank you again for posting that.

zepboy · Post by **zepboy** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:45 am

^^^^^
What he said!

ElfDude · Post by **ElfDude** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:51 am

Perfect, Marn. Thanks for sharing that.

YYZ30 · Post by **YYZ30** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:19 am

Thanks for sharing that, Marn.

CygnusX1 wrote:
The article pretty much sums up how people can change the life of a
servicemember - no matter what country of origin - by a simple act of
kindness.

Those men and women are hundreds and thousands of miles from home,
unaccustomed to people even recognizing them on the street with
a "hello"...much less buying them a meal!

I was at the Kenny Chesney show at Gillette Stadium two years ago, and we were seated on the field. There was a group from the Marines and Navy wandering around between acts (we knew because they were in dress unis) and whereever they went people stood up and cheered them or shook their hands.

CygnusX1 · Post by **CygnusX1** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:25 am

YYZ30 wrote:I was at the Kenny Chesney show at Gillette Stadium two years ago, and we were seated on the field. There was a group from the Marines and Navy wandering around between acts (we knew because they were in dress unis) and whereever they went people stood up and cheered them or shook their hands.

Cool Zed!

And BTW - Kenny Chesney redneck-shreds the HELL out of a guitar.

awip2062 · Post by **awip2062** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:04 pm

Killer!

Big Blue Owl · Post by **Big Blue Owl** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:13 pm

I love stories of human kindness like this. Thanks for sharing it, Marn.

awip2062 · Post by **awip2062** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:50 pm

Too bad so many of them get buried or just plain not told so that we can hear the dirty laundry.

CygnusX1 · Post by **CygnusX1** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:23 am

Big Blue Owl wrote:I love stories of human kindness like this.

Here's another one: Cards for Soldiers

http://pentagontv.feedroom.com/?fr_stor ... 719&rf=rss

Click on "America Supports You" link in left margin, then click
on "Cards for Soldiers" video link on right.