Powerful Message

I've read this before, but it's so awesome made me cry when i got it again today so I just wanted to share....

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in myassigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a goodbook to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thouiht.Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle andfilled 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 thenwe're being deployed to Afghanistan .'After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sacklunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hoursbefore we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would helppass the time...As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if heplanned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just asack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till weget to base.'His friend agreed.I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch so Iwalked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fiftydollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my armsand squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears; she thanked me. 'My sonwas 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 soldierswere 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 tothe front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate fromfirst class. 'This is yours, 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 downthe aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked. I hoped he was notlooking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on myside of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held outhis hand and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening myseatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice hesaid, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone boughtme a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassedwhen applause was heard from all of the passengers.Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. Aman 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, putsomething in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying aword. Another twenty-five dollars!Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for theirtrip to the base.I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It willtake you some time to reach the base.. It will be about time for asandwich.God Bless You.'Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of theirfellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safereturn. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I couldonly give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blankcheck 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 whono longer understand it.'