Man cuts in line of soldier at restaurant so he can pay for their meals
It appears that showing your respect for our men in uniform by paying for their meals is a new American tradition.
Not content to just thank these men and women for their service, some people are even fighting over the chance to buy meals for soldiers. In 2016, one patron got angry at another for beating him to the bill for 5 Army members at Arnold’s Country Kitchen in Nashville, Tennessee.
That bill was well under $100, but people have been happy to shell out more.
In 2014, TODAY reported that Major John O’Sullivan, his wife, Michelle, and their friends, Captain Dave and Cindy Meek had a tab of over $400 picked up by a fellow diner at Roy’s Steakhouse in Newport Beach, California.
A year later, a video went viral showing philanthropist Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz thank U.S. soldiers at an airport in Shannon, Ireland as he paid $50 each for all 400 of their meals.
These good deeds happen all over the world.
But not all gestures need to cost so much.
The most recent viral story of a civilian paying for soldier meals happened just this year at a Jack’s fast food restaurant in Holly Pond, Alabama.
While some had IDed the man in the Facebook comments, he chose to remain anonymous for his gesture.
It was actually someone else in the restaurant who took the photo – the father of a young man named Levi Lawrence. Lawrence then posted it to his Facebook page along with the caption:
“Hopefully the people pictured won’t mind but shoutout to the gentlemen in blue with his son he saw all the uniformed military in jacks in holly pond this morning and proceeded to the front of the line and said I would like to buy all of their breakfast for them. He bought about 12 meals not including his own family’s. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU SIR!”
The man in the blue shirt jumped the breakfast line at Jack’s so he could pay everyone’s bill. He stood by and watched as they gathered their meals, his smiling child at his side.
It was posted about a month ago and already has over 3000 reactions on Facebook and over 3,700 shares.
Commenters – of which there were over 300 – were touched by the gesture.
“That was so nice and what a good example for his son!”
“Thank you! ALL of you. Thank you to the gentleman and his son for recognizing these heroes and to them for their service!”
“Wonderful to see people still care! Very thoughtful”
Of course, any viral post brings out the trolls as well. Unfortunately, when someone made a rude comment, Lawrence told them to “go tf back Africa.” Unfortunately, racism isn’t what these men are fighting for.
But in the end, the photo made most people not only smile but appreciate what these men and women sign up for. You don’t have to buy them a meal, but a simple thanks will do just fine.
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Source: Levi Lawrence via Facebook