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Whatever It Takes - Welcoming Our Returning Heroes
Flopping Aces ^ | 09-02-10 | Skookum

Posted on 09/02/2010 8:04:21 AM PDT by Starman417

There have been some comments lately, concerning the returning vets and how to welcome them. Old Skook has been trying to make this into an art form for several years; give me a few minutes and I'll share my techniques and I will tell you of the day a few years ago, when I was called upon to be a better man than I am.

This activity requires stealth and nerves of steel. When you are in a fine dining establishment like Denny's or Elmers, use your scouting skills and spot the ME vets sitting together or singly. Keep them under observation and time your meal so that you finish ahead of them, then estimate the cost of their meal and walk by their table and say, "this one's on me soldier" and drop a ten or a twenty on their table and walk away before they can protest. That's a great devious trick for Patriots, it always makes me chuckle when I start my car to leave.

Once I saw the chance to be a real hero and I played it to the max. Every few years, I'll walk around the streets of Oceanside and recall those nights forty years ago when I walked those same streets with nothing to do. Except on this particular night, I saw a young Lance corporal in Dress Blues with a bride still in her wedding gown, looking to be about seven months along. They were aimlessly looking in store windows and I saw my chance for yet another dastardly deed.

I palmed a hundred and walked up to that young Marine and shook his hand and congratulated him on committing matrimony. I held on to his right hand (they say I have a grip like a gorilla, so that part was easy) I grabbed his shoulder with my left hand and told him to take his bride out on the town and spend all the money and let tomorrow take care of itself. I turned my hand so that it was on top and the C note wouldn't fall on the side walk and left them at a brisk (at least for me) run.

He was outraged and said he couldn't accept the money, but I was laughing like a schizophrenic and double timing my way out of there. I am 63 years old and know that I can't outrun a young Marine, but when they are dragging a pregnant woman, I can outrun them all.

Now on a more serous note, I was driving on I 70 and I stopped at a truck stop in Western Colorado for a meal and spied a young soldier that looked like he had been dealt a few bad hands. I decided to buy him a meal and dropped a twenty on his table and said, "thanks soldier". I rushed to the cash register and a bunch of seniors crowded in front of me and some of them looked mean, so I decided to wait my turn to pay.

The young soldier walked up to me and asked, "Sir, are you former military". I told him, I once wore the uniform and that I wasn't an officer, so he didn't need to call me Sir.

He asked if I would have a cup of coffee with him; he needed someone to talk with.

(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; iraq; military

1 posted on 09/02/2010 8:04:24 AM PDT by Starman417
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To: Starman417

Blurry screen. Thanks for sharing.


2 posted on 09/02/2010 8:22:56 AM PDT by NEMDF
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To: Starman417

Good thing I have a box of tissues in my office....


3 posted on 09/02/2010 8:31:54 AM PDT by iceskater (I am a citizen - not a subject. Remember in November.)
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To: Starman417
Bookmarked! Thank you for posting such a positive story about how to bless our American Heroes!
4 posted on 09/02/2010 5:58:02 PM PDT by tajgirvan (Preserve our Troops, O God, may they always put their trust in You!)
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