Sack Lunch

by Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
Feb. 3, 2010

This was send to us by a couple of our readers Derick & Ellen. Who has received it from some one else. We don’t know who the author of this great story is. I believe they would want it that way….. We want to share this with you. It brought tears to my eyes as I was reading this.

We always love when we get stories and messages from you the readers.

This reminded me of the time when my fellow Vietnam Vets came home back from the war. They would have loved for this to have happaned to them. All they got was that they were called “baby killers”.

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

The Sack Lunches

 

by Unknown

In fact today on my flight a first class passenger gave up his seat to a military fellow.  On a lot of my flights people offer to buy those snacks and such, but not always.  

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.’

May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list….?

I JUST DID

 

Let us pray…

Prayer chain for our Military…. Don’t break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer… Prayer for our soldiers doesn’t break it!

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: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.

There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm’s way, prayer is the very best one.

GOD BLESSES YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!