Posted on 03/19/2006 12:09:45 PM PST by jsk10
Just a story from earlier today:
I had to take my wife to the airport - she's flying to a business conference. We decided to get lunch in the airport, and as I saw a few soldiers eating lunch, I remarked to my wife that I wish we would have had the opportunity to buy them lunch. It was a sincere comment, but it was just that, a comment. One day, I will make it much more so than words.
Anways, as we finished our lunch, we walked into the lobby area in front of the security check, there were probably 100 or so people standing/sitting around. Within a minute or so, I heard a loud voice. A man on one end of the lobby yelled out, "Attention ladies and gentlemen, members of the United States Military coming through!". About 25-30 soldiers, still dressed in fatigues, started to walk through the lobby to the baggage claim area. The entire lobby broke out into applause, many standing, some with tears in their eyes. The reception wasn't simply a polite applause, it was a genuine appreciation, almost sportslike in its enthusiasm. I wondered if some were family of the soldiers. But no, once the soldiers walked away, people went back to whatever it was they were doing before the impromptu parade. My first thought was, I want to share this with my friends at Free Republic. My second thought was, the hell with those idiots at Kos and DU who denigrate the soldiers and the work they do. Screw you Dick Durbin, America loves these people. I wish you all would have been there.
Tears here. Thanks!
Best post of the day!
Read and weep with pride.
Thank you, jsk10! I enjoy shaking the hands of our soldiers when I'm at the Hartsfield Airport (no Jackson, please).
Some time ago, a lady driving a truck down GA400 had a magnetic photograph of her soldier on the back of her truck. I managed to get in front of her at the toll booth and paid for her toll when paying for mine.
We can do something...doesn't have to be much: a handshake, a smile, a "thank you," or a 50 cent toll.
Great call on that! I try to say "thanks" as much as I can, the toll idea never occurred to me. It will now. I might even see if I can arrange some golf or something for some soldiers (the one area I have "some" pull in). Thanks for the idea.
Great story. Thanks for sharing it (especially after reading about that so called "church" and the protesters).
I always ask for the manager, and give him/her enough for ten admissions (the payment is upon entering), with the instructions, "Please see to it that the next ten servicemen or women to come in in uniform do not need to pay". I have never done this at an airport, haven't been in an airport for a while now, but I will be flying for the first time in 6 years the first of April...
Thanks for the reminder!
Oh my...goosebumps. Thanks, onyx for pinging me.
Thank you
Glad to know this is still happening. It restores my faith in the American people!
God bless our troops!!
And thanks for the post, jsk!
I wish I would have been there too.
Thanks for the ping......I am so happy people are still doing this.......
Thank you for sharing this with us. May the good Lord Bless our wonderful soldiers!!!
Thanks!
This is nice........
God bless our troops!
Thanks for pinging your list!
This post made my day.
I have come back to read it twice.
God Bless our brave troops!
I tend to see quite a bit of C-BS news as I get only two grainy channels (one CBS, one ABC) on my TV. To my incredulity, they had a story the other day about a sizeable contingent of folks in Maine who appear at the airport each time a plane returning with our service men and women makes a refueling stop there. They appear even when these stopovers are in the middle of the night. They turn out to welcome the troops home and thank them for their service. It was very moving.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.