A Sack Lunch

[catman]

I don't know who wrote this but it's awesome...I hope the mods will let me pass this on for everyone to read

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.'

[jjtroutbum]

Great post!! Anyone with a problem with it can eat my shorts.

[Bob A]

Good post, Catman!!! Wish we could somehow identify the author....would be great if he could get credit and psss this all over the net.

Bob A, Springfield

[soggyfeet]

GREAT POST AN GREAT STORY its better that the author stay unknown there are way to many people out there today that would want to smear someone for doing that.

[Wheatenheimer]

A few years back, I was in the Colorado Springs airport, waiting for a flight to Dallas. I noticed quite a few military personnel, in uniform, in the boarding area. About 45 minutes before the scheduled departure, I witnessed the entire group of first class passengers, one by one, approach the gate agent with their boarding pass in hand and say "I want to give my seat to a soldier." The entire first class section of that aircraft was filled with soldiers that were being deployed to Iraq.

It doesn't matter how you feel about the war or your political views.......It's nice to know that there are still people out there that can cast aside their material obsessions and show respect and gratefulness to the sons and daughters that are fighting for what so many take for granted.

Thanks for the post!

Kevin

[Thom]

Anytime I see service men in a resturant I try to inconspicously stop the server to their table and pick up the tab. You would be surprised how many times the server has told me that someone else already taken care of it.

At Cracker Barrel in Ofallon where I live 4 army personnel sat at the table next to me and I thanked them for their service to their country. I picked up their tab. One of the Sargents smiled and said you better get out of here fast we just are the forward vehicle for an army group of about 50 heading for Indiana. They relally got a kick out of it. they shared with me as we talked that almost all of the people they meet are very supportive of them.

[Al Agnew]

I'm not a veteran, and grew up during the Vietnam era. The unpopularity of that war and attitude of SOME of those opposing it was purely poisonous, and affected the country for many years afterward. But it is really nice to see that most in this country have "grown up" and even if they oppose the Iraq war, are able to separate a war that is unpopular to them from the very courageous and honorable soldiers who are serving and paying with their limbs and lives. I would be surprised, and very dismayed, if anybody on here had anything negative to say about that story, and they could eat my shorts, too.