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Elite 2K Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 2594 Status: Offline

I bet you thought I was going to tell a flying story, didn't you? Well, maybe some other time. I just wanted to tell you a very good thing that happened to me the other day. All vets will appreciate this one.

A buddy of mine and I went to breakfast the other day. We had a couple of hours before a squadron meeting, so we were already dressed in our flight suits.

When we got to the restaurant, we asked for non-smoking, and the waitress took us to our table. In the booth next to us were a middle aged woman and her daughter, probably early to mid teens.

They didn't really acknowledge us, nor we them, we just kind of nodded a friendly hello, as one would commonly do to a stranger, and that was all. We sat down and started looking at the menu, and decided what we wanted to order.

About midway through our breakfast, the waitress comes up and hands us our checks. We looked at them, and then sat them down and continued to eat. A few minutes later, our waitress comes back and said "Oh, I made a mistake on your checks. Let me go fix these for you." I didn't recall seeing a mistake on the checks, and my buddy didn't either, but we really didn't think about it again.

A little bit later the two ladies got up and left. A few minutes later, our waitress came back and said "Your checks have been paid for already, gentlemen...by the two ladies who were sitting next to you. They didn't want you to know until they left, and they wanted to say thank you for your service to our country, and we here appreciate it too."

I really have to say that I was taken back by the gesture. I've never had anyone do that for me before, and I'm definitely not one of the types who wears his uniform downtown all the time to pander for handouts. That was definitely one of those moments that made me really proud to serve and proud of my fellow citizens.

Thank you to people like those two ladies, and for all of you who support us, no matter what your personal politics may be.

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I have one that is in that same line. Coming home from the AOR last month, me and a cohort were making a connecting flight out of Minneapolis to home. We had just got off the airplane in Madison and had no time to change out of uniforms on the way to the airport. So here we are in MSP walking trying to find an atm so my friend could get some cash. A very nice lady from NWA came up and asked if we needed directions to our gate. We told her that we had already been to the gate but we were looking for an atm. She then showed us where the closest one was and as we were walking by the counter at another gate she stopped us, went to the counter, asked for two forms. She then brought them over to us and said thank you for everything, and off she went. I looked at the forms and they were airline meal vouchers for use at the airport. She didn't have to do anything for us, but chose to make our return a little happier. I wish I could thank her again.

So there I was is how our old phase dock chief SMSgt Summers used to begin his stories.

Me and a bunch of weapons loaders were out to eat before work on a TDY in Denver at Rosie's Dinner this past September and we had our meal paid for by a stranger who didn't want to be identified. We were ever so greatful and glad to know people still care.

Elite 1K Joined: May 10, 2005 Posts: 1089 Status: Offline

Any time I'm in Dallas, I make it a point to go out to DFW and join in the dedicated effort to welcome the troops connecting thru DFW.

I had a very close buddy who passed away St. Patrick's day.....arrived at Nha Trang the day I was born.

He was twice spit on in uniform, once in the San Francisco airport returning home and once in Germany in 1970....by an American. His luggage had been urinated on in 'Frisco.

If somebody spit on me while I was in uniform i'd probably beat the living snot outta them. I'm just waiting for the day some hippie stands in the way of the flag when I'm doing an honor guard job so I can have the rifle guards take care of them.

But lets not turn this into a bash. Bring on the stories of ppl still caring.

Enthusiast Joined: Nov 06, 2006 Posts: 64 Status: Offline

Every now and again on a Friday, me and the SIO will get a hankering for some Hooter's wings. During the lunch hour, Hooter's is always filled with middle aged business men in nice suites. Every time we go, it seems like half these business men are retired military, and they always try to pay for our meal. We usually thank them for the offer and refuse, but sometimes they pay our waitress directly and we don't know about it till we try to leave. It is always a nice feeling when this happens, and I always deeply appreciate the offer, even if I don't take it.

Although, one Saturday morning before drill, I stopped by Krispy Kreme dough nuts with a new Lt. to pick up breakfast for my shop. The manager of the store was a former Air Force guy and insisted that the dough nuts were "on the house." When I refused his gracious offer, he argued with me and practically forced me to take them.

To comment on some of the other posts, I will take free Hooters wings and Krispy Kreme dough nuts over being spat upon any day (my father was a Vietnam Vet that had to deal with that crap).

"So, there I was"...On St. Pat's day afternoon in the waiting room of the Scranton PA Medical Center waiting for a buddy of mine who had been injured skiing (we're all from VA) and finally it was time to leave. About an hour before we left I'd noticed an Army Guardsman walk into the place in uniform. As we left to drive back to VA, on the spur of the moment I went over to the Army guy and shook his hand, thanking him for what he's done for our country. It caught him totally by surprise and I think he appreciated it.

It happened to me several times when I was in uniform before I retired and I can tell you I really appreciated it. I remember not wanting to wear my uniform in public during the Vietnam days, but it's different these days. I hope those of my generation who spat on servicemen as they returned from the war get to spend eternity with the martyrs from the middle east as they repose in Valhalla.

F-16.net Editor Joined: Sep 23, 2003 Posts: 2847

TC wrote:

I bet you thought I was going to tell a flying story, didn't you? Well, maybe some other time. I just wanted to tell you a very good thing that happened to me the other day. All vets will appreciate this one.

A buddy of mine and I went to breakfast the other day. We had a couple of hours before a squadron meeting, so we were already dressed in our flight suits.

When we got to the restaurant, we asked for non-smoking, and the waitress took us to our table. In the booth next to us were a middle aged woman and her daughter, probably early to mid teens.

They didn't really acknowledge us, nor we them, we just kind of nodded a friendly hello, as one would commonly do to a stranger, and that was all. We sat down and started looking at the menu, and decided what we wanted to order.

About midway through our breakfast, the waitress comes up and hands us our checks. We looked at them, and then sat them down and continued to eat. A few minutes later, our waitress comes back and said "Oh, I made a mistake on your checks. Let me go fix these for you." I didn't recall seeing a mistake on the checks, and my buddy didn't either, but we really didn't think about it again.

A little bit later the two ladies got up and left. A few minutes later, our waitress came back and said "Your checks have been paid for already, gentlemen...by the two ladies who were sitting next to you. They didn't want you to know until they left, and they wanted to say thank you for your service to our country, and we here appreciate it too."

I really have to say that I was taken back by the gesture. I've never had anyone do that for me before, and I'm definitely not one of the types who wears his uniform downtown all the time to pander for handouts. That was definitely one of those moments that made me really proud to serve and proud of my fellow citizens.

Thank you to people like those two ladies, and for all of you who support us, no matter what your personal politics may be.

And the rest of the story.... their phone numbers were on the check... Laughing

Elite 2K Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 2594 Status: Offline

Duuuude! One looked like she was on MediCare, and the other was jailbait. Laughing

Apart from this one, I have had people clap on the airplane when a group of us would be in uniform and the Flight Attendant would do her "Thank you to the servicemen" speech at the end of the flight. Dallas and Atlanta especially are friendly to folks in uniform.

Just glad those tech school days are LONG gone! No more uniforms on the plane for the kid! The only plane I wear a uniform on anymore is Barney! Laughing

(<----"Barney" = C-17)

Senior member Joined: Dec 14, 2006 Posts: 469

AfterburnerDecalsScott wrote:

He was twice spit on in uniform, once in the San Francisco airport returning home and once in Germany in 1970....by an American. His luggage had been urinated on in 'Frisco.

I have been reassured by fascist liberals that this type of thing never happened, despite the fact that I witnessed it often on the nightly news and even the few times in person.

Toward the end of our involvement in Vietnam, many soldiers used to refer to coming home or entering the public as running the gauntlet. Often ‘literally stinking hippies’ would wait at points of arrival, such as airports, train stations and military gates. They often reeked of marijuana, beer and booze, urine and feces. Many of them smelled like old rotten cans of worms, or gym shoes after going to the creek crayfish hunting (like bums that haven't bathed in ages.

They used to spit, throw beer/wine bottles, stones, paper/plastic bags that were apparently full of urine and feces at our soldiers. I even remember the smell of the attacks and the attackers. Yet I have been told by many fascist liberals that it never happened. I witnessed it on live TV and saw/smelled/heard it in person, yet fascist liberals don't believe me because they haven't seen it for themselves. I suspect if they even did see video of it, that they wouldn't believe the contents of the paper and plastic bags.

Sometimes some soldiers would change to civilian clothes to avoid attacks. There was always some soldiers that were too proud to remove their uniforms, and often they volunteered to be lightning rods for the gauntlet of angry mobs of hippies.

Even as a child it got my dandruff up that these soldiers were protecting us from communism and trying to help an ally, just to come home to be attacked by thankless angry mobs of liberal hippies.

I find it ironic that some of the soldiers didn't necessarily agree with the war was attacked by so-called antiwar activists.

TC wrote:

I bet you thought I was going to tell a flying story, didn't you?

I was hoping it was be something like a redneck yarn. Something like: So there I was naked on the windmill after I woke up, not realizing how I got there…….

However I was pleasantly surprised to hear your story as well as others.

I heard the story of a soldier that was cleaning up in the bathroom of an airport after running the gauntlet, when a complete stranger offered to take him to his house to take a shower and change and then took him to his family's house. The soldier wanted to surprise his family. Thanks to the kindness of a stranger he was able to get cleaned up and be chauffeured to his family's doorstep in a clean uniform. The complete stranger probably sacrificed half of his day for the soldier.

Enthusiast Joined: May 16, 2006 Posts: 84 Status: Offline

I remember this fella.. might peek in here once in awhile named Davis.

He was a E-5 at the time I heard this but he told of coming home from Desert Storm ith the 17th FS and after getting off the plane and greeting family headed straight to a steakhouse, which one eludes me anymore. He still was in his desert BDUs and dusty and didn't care but wanted a good dteak meal real bad! Once there, forgive me Davis if the facts are a lil skewed, but some gentleman asked about him and he told the gentleman he had just returned and wanted nothing more than a good meal with his family. The gentleman called the entire restaraunt to orderr telling them of this brave airman who had just retruned and got a bit of an ovation. The man also paid for his family's meal I believe. We need more of this for sure. I know I'll pay if I see someone nowadays such as that. I'll always do my best to pay for that meal and give my thanks.

Elite 2K Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 2594 Status: Offline

If he was in the 17th at the time, then he wasn't too far up the road from where I am now. I must say that out of all of the places I've been so far, the residents of Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and South Carolina seem to have been the most supportive. Nothing bad happened while I was in Washington, but nothing overly positive either. Washington is a traditionally "Blue" state, so that is probably why. My buddies at McChord tell me that the locals there aren't abusive, but they don't exactly welcome you with a handshake either.

Elite 1K Joined: Apr 26, 2004 Posts: 1191 Status: Offline

These are great....brings tears to my eyes......

I was on my way home from the AOR last fall and had just endured the aganizing flight back across the Atlantic to JFK in NY. I was TDY with some guard guys so this is where we parted ways. Myself and another guy from my base left to our gates to catch our fligh back to Phoenix. At the check in the lady said something about our seats that neither I or the other heard what she was talking about. When we got on the jet and looked for our seats they just happened to be in first class. She had upgraded us free of charge to first class. We drank ourselves stupid on free beer and champagne on the way back to phoenix. Another happened just today. I was on my way home from work and stopped in Subway to get a sammy. I said a few words to the guy in line ahead of me but that was it. When we got to the check out the guy says "Put this gentleman's sandwhich on my check" I told him that I could not accept but he would not take no for an answer. I think I thanked him more for the sandwhich than he did for my service. Put a smile on my face and glad to wear the uniform. I have had a lot of people shake my hand and thank me and it makes me feel proud to serve and glad that there are still people out there that appreciate the sacrifices that we make to serve.

Thank you all for supporting us!

I was on my way home from the AOR last fall and had just endured the aganizing flight back across the Atlantic to JFK in NY. I was TDY with some guard guys so this is where we parted ways. Myself and another guy from my base left to our gates to catch our fligh back to Phoenix. At the check in the lady said something about our seats that neither I or the other heard what she was talking about. When we got on the jet and looked for our seats they just happened to be in first class. She had upgraded us free of charge to first class. We drank ourselves stupid on free beer and champagne on the way back to phoenix. Another happened just today. I was on my way home from work and stopped in Subway to get a sammy. I said a few words to the guy in line ahead of me but that was it. When we got to the check out the guy says "Put this gentleman's sandwhich on my check" I told him that I could not accept but he would not take no for an answer. I think I thanked him more for the sandwhich than he did for my service. Put a smile on my face and glad to wear the uniform. I have had a lot of people shake my hand and thank me and it makes me feel proud to serve and glad that there are still people out there that appreciate the sacrifices that we make to serve.

Thank you all for supporting us!

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So There I Was...