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.

' Chicago - to Great Lakes 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, an 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 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.

Just a great story someone forwarded to me.

                                                   Semper Fi
                                                        JPC

Great story Carl.  Thanks for sharing it.  :'(  Damn monitor is all blurry again.

-Dennis-

Ditto!  :'(

:'(

What a heart warming story  :'(

Thanks for sharing this story.  What a wonderful thing you did.

Anytime I travel I always try to pick up a soldiers lunch or occassional beer at the airport bar.

I will keep this in mind on the next trip.

This vet says -- Outstanding!!

and this vet enjoyed the story as well. Thanks for posting it.

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Wonderful Story!

Charlie

Way back when the gulf war started the wife and I started doing the solders angels program. They give you the name of a solder that has no immediate family to correspond with in Iraq or Afghanistan.

We are on our 5th solder now and the letters they have sent us are far more valuable than the goodies and personal necessities we have send them.

Bravo! :) :) :)

Roland.

im so glad that solders are treated with dignaty  ins[ite of an unpopular war. i don't think dad got that .kind of tratment when they rolled him of the pplane in that wheel chair back in '69. he nevercomplains though. one legis a little shorter  than the other. you couldn't tell by looking at him that he was shot in both legs. he's 67 years old and he can still kick my ass.



               god bless our veterans

I just read this and my monitor got totally blurred. This is the most touching thing I've read for Veteran's Day. Bless you for posting it.

Hugs BD

OMG! That is nothing short of awesome. Just plain awesome.
TomM, Sempar Paratus

Just read this now, and damned if the monitor isn't blurry here too  :'(

I've stood on the tarmac and waved goodbye to my husband as he headed off to war - and watched my children cry and shed their tears of fear.

Something that seems so little to so many, means so very much to a soldier, or the family of one.  Any and every chance you get to say thank you, they appreciate it more than you can know.

What an incredible gesture, what an inspiring act of kindness - this war has touched every person here, in some way or another - we all know someone who has been deployed, is deployed, or who has sacrificed everything.  A small act of kindness says so very much, and is so incredibly appreciated by the troops.  

Stories like this renew my faith in the human spirit.

Cat

Here's something we can do too.  Might not be much, but I'm sure it will be appreciated.


 
Quote:

GREAT  IDEA!!      When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and  send  it to this address.  If we pass this on and everyone  sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful  special people who have sacrificed so much would get.   When  you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please  include the following: A  Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical  Center 6900 Georgia Avenue,NW Washington,DC. 20307-5001   If  you approve, please pass it on.

Luinda,

If everyone who sends a card like this puts in just a little bit of effort to write something appreciative and personal - it could be very powerful.

I'm going to verify the mailing info and make sure that it will work the way I hope it will - then a lot of people are going to hear about it.

Marc

Linda_Howell wrote on Nov 12^th, 2008 at 6:20pm:

Here's something we can do too.  Might not be much, but I'm sure it will be appreciated.   Quote:   GREAT  IDEA!!      When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and  send  it to this address.  If we pass this on and everyone  sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful  special people who have sacrificed so much would get.   When  you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please  include the following: A  Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical  Center 6900 Georgia Avenue,NW Washington,DC. 20307-5001   If  you approve, please pass it on.

Please don't shoot the messenger, BUT - They will not accept those letters.  Guess they're worried about letter bombs, anthrax, or whatever, but the bottom line is they'll destroy them unopened (at least according to Snopes).

Regards,
Jim

Marc, were you able to check this out?  Killowatt  said that they will not allow any soldier to recieve them because of bombs, etc.  and they will be destroyed.

If this is true what a horrible time we're living in.  I do know that there are organizations that let folks send care packages to soldiers over-seas....so I'm confused.

Luinda

LOL>.Marc, were you able to check this out? Killowatt said that they would not allow.........
OK, I'm having fun, Linda....Hey, the sun is shining, as as soon as I get a response from another agent, I'm out of the house to enjoy it!

It seems hateful to me that we have to be concerned with  our mail nowadays.should I refuse to open any of what I receive on the offchance there could be a bomb, or anthrax?

Besides, we send big boxes of personal necessities off to our troops, and those could be riddled with all sorts of stuff.....yet, I know, I already have my contributions gathered and ready to go, to be added to others contributions...soo, just because it arrives at the Soldiers' hospital,from Oregon City's Chamber of Commerce, it is deemed safe to open?

I could be an operative............ :D

Food(don't mail any of that )for thought..........

Cathi-aka Agent Turquoise

O.K. here is what I found on Snopes.  Now I'm really confused.

 snopes.com: Holiday Cards for Recovering Soldiers •••
Walter Reed Hospital will accept Christmas cards addressed to 'Holiday Cards for Heroes'?
 ...Claim: Americans can send holiday cards to service members and veterans through the "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program. TRUE Origins: Recent years...
 ...Coots, commander, Walter Reed Health Care System. "The Holiday Mail for Heroes program is a wonderful outreach effort and a great way to acknowledge the...
 ...or "Gift Cards/Certificates for Our Troops" in order to send such items. No 'Care Packages' will be accepted at this address. Those wishing to send...
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2. snopes

OY VEY!
Gift cards?? Are they kidding??

can't you just see your friendly Soldier, on the day after Christmas, calling to his buddies to say
:"cover me,  Bros,while I nip on over to the local Target so I can use my gift card........"....orr,
"perhaps you'd like to join me at the Bahrain Red Lobster, sayy, 8 o'clock.I gotta gift card I'd like to share with you.......".......

Ummm........ok, I accept the phone cards as viable...but even if ya use an Amazon Gift card....where will it be delivered?? HMMM>>>>>>????

I'll continue to donate through the Red Cross, and we'll send our cards.......with no enclosures.....
As I remember, Catlind had a similar project last year, which was very successful....Cat??

These guys and gals deserve everything we can offer, but, as usual, some demented Secret Santas just don't use what God gave em........
God Bless us One and all.........

a jaded Cathi

Thank you for sharing that.  My son-in-law just returned from Iraq, I had 3 great nephews there at one time and one of them is on his way back.  It's stories like these that do let you know people care.

Thanks again,

Louise

Cathi, we did it through the local base, so it was different.  I have been trying to figure this one out myself this year since we are now at a location without an active base.

If you are in a location that is near a base, you can call the base (usually through the public relations office) and ask them what they are doing for deployed soldiers, they often pair with the Red Cross, United Way and the USO to get groups together that put together care packages of donated items to send to a soldier.

So far these are the sites I've been looking through:  
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But I haven't found anything yet to confirm the Walter Reed Program - Clark is waiting to hear back from Offutt about whether they can receive packages etc. at the hospital.

Cat

Hope no one minds me jumping in here but thought I'd add a website to the previous list:

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I have used The OperationAC website many times so there is no need to worry.  It's safe and very easy to use.

You can donate money to send Christmas trees to the troops, adopt someone serving overseas (you can even pick someone from your home state/town if you wish) and there is an on-line shop where you can buy an item that has been requested for those serving.

The site was started by a Delawarean Mom, Frankie Mayo whose children were deployed a few years ago and she has continued to run the site since then.

Linda_Howell wrote on Nov 14^th, 2008 at 3:17pm:

O.K. here is what I found on Snopes.  Now I'm really confused...

Hi All,

Here's a little clarification, and some additional info:

Walter Reed Hospital does not accept mail addressed to "A Recovering American Soldier", or similar generic addressees at the hospital, and as of Wednesday (11/12), Snopes showed that to be the case.

Someone has apparently brought Snopes up to speed within the last couple of days though, on the "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program run by the American Red Cross, whereby the Red Cross has been allowed to screen mail, and has arrangements for forwarding appropriate cards to soldiers in the hospital.  So, the bottom line is, don't send cards to the Walter Reed Hospital address, but instead send them to the Red Cross address currently showing on the Snopes page Linda references in her post yesterday (Friday):

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

There are some guidelines at the Red Cross site here:

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and a whole lot of other sites for supporting the troops are listed here:

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God bless them all!

Regards,
Jim

that is great story of compassion and love for your fellow man. is nice to see there are people out there with a heart!