because my Daddy sent this to me and it means a lot

Unless you are a military family you might not realize the sacrifice these men and women make and their families..Please read this and reflect especially at this time of year...Happy Thanksgiving!




The Sack Lunch



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

Don'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.