Travelling gives you the chance to meet people you wouldn’t ordinarily meet every day. It breaks up your routine and puts you in new situations that expand your horizons and make you see things differently. It’s exciting, thrilling and forces you to learn new things about others and yourself. It’s always a learning experience!
When Denny Kulich boarded the plane, found his seat, stowed away his carry-on and settled in just like he had many times before, he didn’t think this time would be any different. But, a conversation he picked up on beside him changed everything.
Denny had just opened his book and was thinking about how nice it would be to relax and have a nap when he noticed a line of soldiers come down the aisle and occupy the surrounding seats.
PixabayHe decided to strike up a conversation and learned that the soldiers were on their way to a two-week special training course before being deployed to Afghanistan.
About an hour into the flight, an attendant announced sack lunches would be available for $5 each. Denny reached into his pocket, hungry, ready to buy one for himself when he overheard one of the soldiers ask his pal if he was going to buy one. “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 the base.”
It seemed like no one else was buying lunch, either! Everyone held off. Without thinking twice, Denny knew what he wanted to do. He plucked a $50 bill from his wallet and handed it to the flight attendant, saying, “Take a lunch to all those soldiers.” She was in shock, her eyes welled up and she grabbed the kind man’s arms: “My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.” And, the kindness didn’t stop here.
Next thing Denny knew, he was being asked if he wanted chicken or beef and a first-class dinner appeared just for him. After he was done eating, a passenger stopped him en route to the restroom and said, “I saw what you did. I want to be a part of it. Here, take this.” The passenger handed Denny $25. Even the flight captain came over to personally thank Denny, shake his hand, and share his story. “I was a soldier and a military pilot. Once, someone bought me lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.” And, two more passengers handed him $25!
Once they landed and disembarked, Denny walked into the terminal, greeted the soldiers and handed them the $75 he had accumulated. He handed them the money and said, “It will take you some time to reach the base, it will be about time for a sandwich. God bless you.” In Denny’s Facebook post, he finishes his story by saying, “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…”
This moment was so touching for the soldiers and one that the man himself should be very proud of.
Click on the video below to see another touching incident happen between a soldier and the pilot of the plane. You don’t want to miss this one.
