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.

'Chicago - to Great Lakes Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq '

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 Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard 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 Chicago'.

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 in Chicago 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.'

All too often we just send jokes, either off color or clean and we forget to send the ones that mean so much.

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students ...?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."

"Test of Three?"

"That's correct," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The first test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man replied, "actually I just heard about it."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second test, the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued, "You may still pass though, because there is a third test -- the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

1. We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times.
    
2. We know in the Military life there is a fellowship which lasts long after the uniforms are hung up in the back of the closet.
    
3. We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his life. We also know how the very bearing of the man speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.

These are the burdens of the job. You will still look at people suspiciously, still see what others do not see or choose to ignore and always will look at the rest of the Military world with a respect for what they do; only grown in a lifetime of knowing.

Never think for one moment you are escaping from that life. You are only escaping the 'job' and merely being allowed to leave 'active' duty.

So what I wish for you is that whenever you ease into retirement, in your heart you never forget for one moment that you are still a member of the greatest fraternity the world has ever known.

NOW! Civilian Friends vs. Veteran Friends Comparisons

• Civilian Friends: Get upset if you're too busy to talk to them for a week.
  Veteran Friends: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.
   
• Civilian Friends: Have never seen you cry.
  Veteran Friends: Have cried with you.
   
• Civilian Friends: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.
  Veteran Friends: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
   
• Civilian Friends: Know a few things about you.
  Veteran Friends: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
   
• Civilian Friends: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
  Veteran Friends: Will kick the crowd's ass that left you behind.
   
• Civilian Friends: Are for a while.
  Veteran Friends: Are for life.
   
• Civilian Friends: Have shared a few experiences...
  Veteran Friends: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of...
• Civilian Friends: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
   
  Veteran Friends: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, 'You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!' Then carry you home safely and put you to bed...
• Civilian Friends: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.
   
  Veteran Friends: Will knock them the hell out OF THEM...for using your name in vain.
• Civilian Friends: Will ignore this.
  Veteran Friends: Will forward this.

A veteran whether active duty, retired, or reserve is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The Government of the United States...' for an amount of 'up to and including my life'. . . and military wives are as much veterans as their spouses.

• I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
• I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
• I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
• I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.
• I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
• When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
• I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of w hat we are given.
• I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
• I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
• I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
• I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
• I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'