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 stopp
>ed 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 ‘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.’