Today I got this from a retired Navy Lt. Commander. I think it is worth passing on to all. It really doesn’t matter if you agree with
where and why our troops are being sent, what matters is that they are all our
children and they are going in harm’s way.
They deserve our support and our respect.
The Sack Lunch
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. 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 seatbelt 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.. 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.'
Prayer for our soldiers:
Prayer:
'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as
they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they
perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'
Prayer Request: After you receive this, please stop for a
moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.
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