The Sack Lunches

 

This is very good.  It would be nice if everyone could be so thoughtful.

 

  This is worth passing on…Thanks for reading; our Son was in Afghanistan and is now home for a short time, we are sure proud of what he and his team are doing for his country and the world.

Thanks,

Art & Stephanie Gomez

 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.  '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 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,
 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 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 ' 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.'
 

-Goofy

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