To be appreciated by other people is one of the best feelings a person can experience in his life. An appreciation – no matter how small or what way it is shown, it will always remain in your heart.

Lou Zezoff, a Navy veteran experienced this kind of feeling in the most unexpected way, time, and place.

One night, he and his wife named Annette were out for dinner. The couple spent it at their local Cracker Barrel.

When they walked into that place, a group of men in a table caught Lou’s attention. He recognized them because of their haircuts.

“Of course, I recognized the military-style haircut, it was high and tight and I knew they were there,” he said.

He knew that these guys were in the military but he didn’t know that they were about to do something memorable for him.

After they ordered their food and before it was served to them, one of the guys from a nearby table approached him – which is really surprising.

It didn’t end there.

The guy who walked over their table made a gesture of appreciation to Lou for his service by offering a handshake and thanking him. He then acknowledged the young man’s appreciation.

After that, another guy from the same table stood up to do the same thing.

These guys were all Marines.

As they had seen that Lou was a veteran because of his hat, they did not hesitate to express their gratitude to him for his service. They certainly knew how it is to serve for the safety and protection of their countrymen.

Lou thanked the guys for their thoughtful gestures and wished them well with their careers.

Lou was left in awe not knowing that the guys were not done yet. They had another way to thank him.

The couple was about to pay their bill and asked the waiter for their check. At that moment, Lou found out that their bill had already been settled by the five young men.

After that, he did not think twice to walk over the Marines’ table so he can thank them and tell them that they did not have to do it as he already appreciated when they approached him and thanked him beforehand. But the guys insisted.

“They wanted me to know how much they appreciated me and I thanked them,” Lou stated.

Lou was extremely flattered and touched by what they did – but the guy did something more touching. They wanted to thank him for the last time and this touched Lou bigtime.

“They filed in front of my table, stood in line, and each of one of them again put his hand out, shook my hand, thanked me, hugged me, and walked to my right,” Lou said while he was teary-eyed.

That moment also had the attention of the other customers who were eating at that time. The chatty atmosphere of the restaurant became noiseless.

What the five men did is truly heartwarming.

It is not only Lou who got moved by it but also his wife, Annette.

“It just speaks volumes of the military. I thought of my son who is retired Air Force, and the people who thank him for his service. It’s rewarding to see the military is so strong and polite,” she said.

Even some people on social media reacted to this touching story.

A commenter wrote, “It’s a simple gesture that most don’t think about. It means a lot to us. I do it all the time and everyone should. This country was founded on a great idea with promising future for all. I’m a proud United States Marine and love this country. Please thank a vet when you see one it might be the light they need to see on a dark day. Semperfi.”

It is not hard to express appreciation. A simple “thank you” will suffice. But the impact – unforgettable.

Watch the video right below to hear the whole story directly from Lou!

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Source: en.stories.newsner.com, Louis Zezoff Jr.