Soldiers On A Jet

Someone emailed this nice story to me. I don't know if it's true but I hope it is.

‘I climbed onto the jet and put my carry-on in the luggage compartment then sat down in my assigned spot for what was to be a long flight. Just before take-off a line of soldiers filled the vacant seats around me so I decided to start a conversation. "Where you headed?" I asked the one seated nearest to me.

"Chicago, to Great Lakes Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, then Iraq."

“Well good luck and God bless all of you,” I said, meaning it.

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 decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a nearby soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. "No,” the second soldier replied, “too much money. I'll wait till we get to Chicago."

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. Not one of them 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," I said with a smile.

She grabbed my hand and her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. "My son is a soldier in Iraq. It's almost like you are doing this for him."

Picking up ten sacks, she headed down the aisle, handing them out to the surprised men in uniform. I returned to my seat thinking that was that but a few moments later the same flight attendant stopped at my seat and asked, "So tell me, which do you like best, roast beef or fried chicken?"

"Chicken," I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, then returned a minute later with a dinner from first class!

"This is our thanks for your generosity with the soldiers," she told me.

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 for those boys,” he stated, “and 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 seat numbers as he walked. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, and said, "I want to shake your hand."

Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, "Long ago I was a military pilot. Once someone bought ME a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot."

I was embarrassed when the other passengers began to applaud.

Later in the flight I walked to the front of the plane and a man who was seated about six rows in ahead 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, and walked away without saying a word. It was another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base and an uncertain future beyond that. I walked over to them and handed one of them the seventy-five dollars. "It will take you some time to reach the base,” I told him. “Before then it’ll be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You."

I hope those 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...’