Getting teary eyed at Lunch

I ran into little dinner to grab a quick bite in between games and found myslef standing behind a group of 9 year olds who had just finished a ball game. I asked one of them how they did and the young man said "we won 16-4", and another chimed in, " my dad said we took them out behind the woodshed?" and the first kid said "we didn't play behind the woodshed." Pretty funny stuff. I almost laughed until I cried.

The team went in the back of the restraunt and after going through the line and getting a table I sat and ate. Two solderies in full dress sat a few tables away, and about 20 minutes later I saw the coach of the youth team lining up his guys in single file. He then walked his team over to the soldiers table, and said that he and his team wanted to thank them for fighting for this country. Each player then walked up to the soldiers and said thank you and shook there hand.

I didn't look at everone in the restraunt but I am very confident in saying, there was not a dry eye in the place.

Thanks to the men and women who fight for us now in the past and in the future.

 

Great lesson Coach

Everytime I see a soldier at lunch or dinner I make it a point to pay for his meal as I owe them an unlimited debt. You have to love those guys for serving so that our kids have the chance to stay home and play the national pastime game.

 

Terrific story!!!!!!

 

Im not sure what to say here.

Ive seen "military" kids call their moms and dads after tournaments. They have called their parents who are in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places. Ive watched them cry. Ive watched these kids set asside their situations and play ball. Afterwords things are difficult. They go back to reality. Ive relayed games and tournaments to these parents. Ive heard their hearts brake.

Its is an understatement, to say the least, how much gestures of gratitude mean to service members.

Im one of those service members. Though I do not need a thank you to do my job it sure does mean a lot when I hear it.

If you are ever in the situation to say thanks do it. Those moments of thanks ground us. We recall why we are doing what we do.

Though we don't get it right sometimes and we make mistakes we perhaps need to be reminded what we are there for. When we hear those thanks we get back to reality very quickly. We remember who and what we are there for. We remember, least we forget or have forgotten, why we exist.

We have gone to bad places because some bad folks came to our country and hurt some very innocent people.

I and those who I serve are your Soldiers/Sailors/Marines/Airmen and others.

Our dissapointment so many years ago when those buildings came down are that those who knocked those buildings down didn't choose to face us. Thats what we are there for. Those bad guys chose to hurt you. We take that very personal.


We are your huckleberries.

 

For as long as I can remember and to this day, when my dad is out to eat, if there is a military person or family in the restuarant, he will ALWAYS pick up their bill and quietly thank them. A tip of the cap to that coach for setting a precedent for those young boys.

 

I love that phrase. It's my favorite movie line......

Thanks for all you do, Gloveside! Americans are well known to forget tragic events and move on with their lives. I hope we will always carry 9/11 in our hearts and hope we will never forget the reason our fellow friends and neighbors are risking their lives.

 

Short story

Two years ago my niece got engaged to a Navy Seal...they married this summer...anyway...he deployed that summer to Sand Land for a little hunting expedition and needless to say my neice was a wreck. Our baseball team, and props here to parents of the On Deck O's 2011 Black, adopted his Seal team. The parents of this team filled 4 boxes of "stuff" for these guys and we sent them over. You would not believe the notes we received back from some of the hardest individuals to ever wear a uniform. You would have thought we gave them a million dollars each. The gratitude was overwhelming. When we went up to Connecticut this winter for their engagement party (scheduled b/w deployments of course) Eric presented me with a United States flag that flew over their Seal base camp and they had also taken out on their patrols. To say I was emotional is an understatement (and it wasn't because I'm retired Army and he's Navy). A small gesture on our part meant the world to these guys. We owe all service members dearly. I'm off my soapbox!...