Pay it forward...

Have you ever watched the movie where the little kid "pays it forward?" This story reminds me of it.
One of my best friends from COT (Major Rice) is an ER nurse going to SERE (flight school) and keeps me update on the way.
She told me this story tonight. For anyone remotely patriotic or selfless...this is for you:

Last week when I flew out to Spokane for my SERE training (in uniform) a young
African American woman was working in the snack bar at the airport. She told me
she was working her first of two jobs that day (her second was at the Hilton
downtown she said), but seemed upbeat and had a nice attitude, not complaining,
just more making conversation. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and drink – and she
refused to let me pay for it – instead taking the money from her tip jar. I told
her it was ok I could pay my own and she said no, she wanted to – then shook my
hand and thanked me for serving. It was one of the most humbling moments of my
life.

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'll 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.

"We're headed to 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 one 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 yours," she smiled, "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 other 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. But for those who do, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.