"The Old Man"--This story sent to me by a LTC Retired USAF

    As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart  of groceries  towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car  up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door  open.  The  old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my  car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about  twenty five feet away. 

     

    I saw a young man in his early  twenties with a grocery bag in his arm, walking towards the  old man.. The old gentleman saw him coming too and took a few steps towards him.  I saw the old  gentleman point to his open hood and say something.  The young man put his grocery bag into what looked  like a brand new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, 'You  shouldn't  even be allowed to drive a car at your age..'  And then with a wave of his  hand, he got  in his car and peeled  rubber out of the parking lot. 

 

I  saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and  mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine.  He then went to his wife and spoke with  her and appeared  to tell  her it would  be okay.  I had seen enough and I approached the  old man. He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said,  'Looks like  you're having a problem.'  He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head.. I looked  under the hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond  me.

 

Looking around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man  that  I would be right back. I drove to the station and went inside and  saw three attendants working on cars..  I approached one of  them and  related the problem the old man had with his car and offered to pay them if  they could follow me back  down and help him.
The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a  tree and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us he straightened up  and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem  (overheated  engine) I spoke with the old gentleman.

 

When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my
Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a  Marine too.  I nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve  with?'

He had mentioned that he served with the first  Marine
Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo  Jima and Guadalcanal .  He had hit  all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over.  As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood.  They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me and I told him I would just put the  bill on my AAA card.  He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I  assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket.. We all  shook hands all around again and I said my goodbye's to his wife.  I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back  up to the station. 

 

Once at the station I told them that they had  interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man.  I  said I wanted  to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me.  One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they were Marine  Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one  of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I  would and drove off. 

 

For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over  and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The  name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his  name....... 'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.'   I  sat there motionless looking at the card and reading  it over and over. I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day,  four  Marines had all come together, because one of  us needed help.  He was an old man all right, but it  felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage and an honor to have been  in his presence.

 

Remember, OLD men like him gave you FREEDOM for America. Thanks to those who served...& those who supported them.

 

America  is not at war. The   U.S.  Military is at war. America is at the Mall.

 

If  you don't stand  behind our troops, PLEASE feel free to stand in front  of them!   Remember, Freedom isn't Free, thousands have paid the price so you can enjoy what you have today.

Outstanding story!
Thanks for sharing it with us here.

As for the young abusive guy who chastised the gentleman with the car trouble...............I would love to meet him and possibly give him some grandfatherly advice.


Mike

True or not - it's a sobering story.

I used to have a customer that shot down four jap planes during the war . I said you almost made ace and he said " well lots of my friends made ace and did not survive the war. He also had a hit on the battle ship Yammamotto. I am sure I misspelled that the ships name .You never know what the older generation has been through by seeing them on the streets.

You're right MJ, true or not, it is a good and inspirational story.  We were all young once and did some pretty brash and rude things.  It was very important in my family to respect elders.  I pulled a few hi-jinks on them, not realizing at the time I would one day become one.  There's so many things going on out there these days, with computers, electronics, etc., and and expectations of things done instantly, that I don't know if we should be so quick to judge young folks.  Their moment of truth will come one day, and if us old farts have done our jobs, they'll make us proud.  I really enjoyed your post, minstrel.  You done good.

My first treasure hunting partner, was shot down, and spent the last year and a half of WWII as a prisoner of war at Neuremburg(sp).
I sure miss some of the stories he used to tell.

My first treasure hunting partner, was shot down, and spent the last year and a half of WWII as a prisoner of war at Neuremburg(sp).
I sure miss some of the stories he used to tell.

   I grew up near a gentleman that flew the "hump" over the Andes in WWII, not only with the cargo planes but also flew the fighter escorts for others that were flying.  This guy pulled dual duty because he was dedicated to the mission they were on.  Yes I miss all the stories he used to tell me about everything that was going on back then, stuff that never made the history books let alone the papers.
There were many un-song hero's that never got the recognition that they deserved. 
   My Father before he died had a hard time with things that were happening to young soldiers overseas (court martials ) for things he was verbally ordered to do during WWII--take no prisoners, shoot them all and move on.  He was did the invasion of Italy, they landed at Salerno, 2000 went in and only 600 made it out.  With an 80% causality rate it makes you rather hard, and even a verbal order to shoot them all is not hard to carry out.  Then the only news media was the Military's not CNN, Fox and the rest following every move you make looking for a story.
   Soldiers today can not do their job with the media watching all the time, it started with my time in Vietnam and has continued through today.
   Minstrel
   Dennis

                           Thanks for sharing, great story.

                                                              Fossis...............

Thanks Dennis for a great point of view

My late father went thru Omaha Beach just after D-Day.  Fought thru France, Belgium, and Germany.  Helped build the first bridge over the Rhine, helped liberate a concentration camp (don't tell me they didn't exist).  My late Father-in-Law was with an Operational Group in the OSS (forerunner to the US Army Special Forces and the CIA.  A TSgt grunt not a spy type. lol)  He parachuted into Greece, but was worried about climbing ladders.  Was awarded a Bronze Star, etc.  Has his name on a statue in Athens at the Army HQ as one of only 120 some Greek Americans who fought in Greece.  He never said anything except he served in Greece until he passed, No ref to OSS etc.  My Father never really spoke of the war either.

Makes my time in the AF (69-73 active, 10 yrs active Reserve) a walk in the park.  Even my Grandfather served in the Austrian army in WWI.

Thank a combat vet next time you see one.

My father in law showed me his pics of WWII. Him and his shipmates (7) were standing in the hole left in the bow by a Japanese Kamakasi pilot. He did a tour in the North Atlantic on a Destroyer and then went to the Pacific to finish up the war. Neither of his sons went into the military but I think he was glad his daughter married a Marine.

  Back in the early 80's, Used to sit around Denny's in Pasadena, Tx, drinking coffee & talking TH'ing & Prospecting with a few "Old Men!"One of them was raised around Globe, Az. Name was Pat K. He was a Civilian working on Wake Island when the --deleted-- took over. Spent the rest of the war in Japan working the Mines. Lost a Leg doing it. He never served a day in the Military, but in my eyes, is still a Hero!!!!                                                  Joe