A very nice thing happened to me and my family

[muskrat89]

After a day out and about with my wife and daughter yesterday, we stopped at a steakhouse for supper. My wife uses an electric wheelchair, due to a progressive disability similar to Muscular Dystrophy. Anyway, as the meal was drawing to a close, our waiter came up and asked if we wanted dessert, to which we replied "No, thanks". Then he said "By the way, your bill has been taken care of." I asked "Why would it be taken care of ? ". He replied, "Oh it wasn't the restaurant sir - another patron is looking after the bill for you."

Being the "pay it forward" types, we're going to make a donation to a charity in the amount we would have spent last night.

I know this didn't have anything to do with the military (that I know of), but thought I'd throw it up anyway. Although I keep my hair pretty close to regulation, the physique and the goatee make sure I don't get mistaken for an active duty soldier 

 

[leroi]

I got to meet my first live, Army.ca forum buddy yesterday!!!

While working at the university library, AEC Kapp, dropped by to shake hands and introduce himself before being posted out to Comox.

It seems he goes to school here at Guelph--wow small world.

Although short on time, we both expressed our high regard for this forum and the many expressive, intelligent voices here.

AEC Kapp will regrettably not attend this year's Guelph Army.ca night but hopes to attend next year.

When he returns in September he's promised to come to dinner and meet my CF-aspiring son.

It made my day--I'm still  ;D-ing!!!

;D[move][/move]

 

[geo]

Car was in the shop yesterday - using public transit....
Was waiting on a street corner when someone walked past me... continued on for a few more steps, turned around, came back to me and started to talk.
It turns out that the young man was from Somalia, was there while our troops were there.
He wanted to extend his thanks to me & my military colleagues for all we did (or tried to do) in Somalia AND for what we are doing in Afghanistan.

This fella understands what we are about and what we are trying to accomplish - no illusions that what we are doing could be done via peaceful means.

Ended up talking to him for 5-8 minutes, till the Bus showed up.

A perfect ending for a lousy day at the office.

 

[mariomike]

And, driving down Dufferin, between Finch and Sheppard, here in TO, I noticed that at the Fire Services head office has a flag pole with a Canadian flag on it and right under that is a 'Support The Troops' flag.  Thank you Toronto Fire Services

4330 Dufferin is Toronto EMS HQ. Metro Chairman Paul Godfrey and our Commisioner, John Dean, opened it on a hot July day 1981 as Metro Toronto Ambulance HQ. 
When the city and borough fire departments amalgamated in 1998, they moved in to a section of the building. It's now called Toronto Emegency Services HQ.
There's 3100 firefighters and 850 Paramedics in Toronto.

 

[[RICE]]

In 2007, I participated in the annual Washington Walk (42 km Saturday, 36 Sunday IIRC) with my cadet squadron.
During the first day of the walk, we passed a gentleman who took off his hat and held it over his heart whilst saying a prayer for the armed forces.

I wish I could remember it, one part went something like "bless our allies in arms". It was quite long, but he blurted it out as we passed him so I didn't have a chance to clearly hear it all.

Granted, I'm not part of the CAF (yet ), but I still appreciated the gesture, and it was good to see international support; it does give you the warm fuzzy feeling  ;D

 

[mariomike]

While I laud the Toronto Fire Ser ice for flying the Support the troops flag, it should NOT be flying @superior@ to the Canadian flag....  They could be flown alongside but never superior to the National flag.

The Canada flag is always superior to the city and departmental flag at HQ, and when being trooped by Honour Guard.
http://www.toronto.ca/protocol/images/torontoflag.jpg
http://www.torontoems.ca/main-site/about/history-files/heraldic-grant.html

 

[PMedMoe]

Resurrecting an old thread here......

I stopped at the grocery store today (on the way home, in uniform) and not one, but two people thanked me.

One older gent gave me a (sort of) salute and said "Thank you."  An older lady at the check out asked if I had been to Haiti.  I said no, but explained I had been to Bosnia and Afghanistan.  She said her son had gone to Haiti but was home now.  When we were walking out of the store she said something along the lines of "glad you're home" and for me to take care of myself.

Very nice!  :nod:

 

[krustyrl]

ALWAYS good to hear things like that.!!!  Thanks for sharing.....    :nod:

 

[Joani]

I live in Ottawa, but I'm dating a soldier in Petawawa. He came down last weekend and joined me for my Running Room long run. At the end of it, a couple of older guys came up and started chatting with him (I will admit, they all know about him because I keep mentioning!), and one of the first things they said was, "Thank you."

After, when we went to breakfast, they had all sorts of questions for him and made him feel very welcome.

 

[bdave]

(even when they have to manufacture  / bend it?)

Is that a serious question?

(More tonight at 8, on how certain questions could put you and your family at risk)

 

[Kat Stevens]

I suppose it was when the no-longer-active member posted it over three years ago.

 

[bdave]

I suppose it was when the no-longer-active member posted it over three years ago.

Oops  ;D

 

[MP 811]

I remember just returning home last year and my furnace blew.  No heat, nothing....needless to say I was pissed as this was something I didnt want to deal with anytime soon.  So I called the local contractors to come out and bring it back to life.  I had my tans basically strewn about in the front hallway and the guy saw them and started asking me questions about the military and stuff.  The conversation eventually carried over to the deployment and Afghanistan, things done, things seen.  Anyways, it took about 2 and a half hours and he finally got my furnace going again.

As he was leaving I asked him if I would be getting the bill in the mail.  He turned to me and said not to worry about it, welcomed me home and thanked me for my service.  I was completely at a loss for words as I had heard stories of people's kindness towards returning soldiers, but never thought i'd experience it myself.

 

[R. Jorgensen]

I used to live near the Hornburg family (Rest in Peace Corporal Nathan Hornburg, thank you for your duties  ) and when it was announced that he had been killed in Afghanistan... not only was I deeply saddened that our Forces lost a soldier, but I felt as if I had lost a brother.

Just before I moved out of Calgary to Vancouver in January, I got a call from the Jeweller saying that the engagement ring I had ordered was ready to be picked up. I was just leaving Mewata Armoury after an afternoon of some hilarious yet rigorous training and decided I'd go pick it up as it was on the way home. I entered, in uniform, and when I was speaking with the Jeweller and went to pay for the ring; this older gentleman and his sweet wife approached me and he asked which regiment I was with and I replied "the King's Own (Calgary) Regiment sir." His wife began to tear up, he came closer and put his hand on my shoulder and said "My wife used to babysit Nathan [Hornburg] when he was just a wee one... we will never be able to bring him back, nor may he ever truly know how grateful we are for his service and for yours alike. Thank you."

I admit, I couldn't hold back my tears; absolutely not. My heart had been touched in a way that I will never forget. Although I appreciate his respects to Cpl Hornburg and his thanks more than anything else... but at the end he said "She's one helluva lucky bride-to-be to have a man like you, a soldier" and paid a fair chunk of the price of the ring, the jeweller also gave me 25% discount (I wasn't supposed to tell anyone  ). I then donated the amount I would have paid for the ring to the Soldier On Fund, the Canadian Heroes Fund, and the CFPAF. 

:yellow: Words cannot explain the levels of my combined gratitude (and sadness) to our fallen men and women of the military for their service and sacrifice. They are Heroes

 

[R. Jorgensen]

I remember just returning home last year and my furnace blew.  No heat, nothing....needless to say I was pissed as this was something I didnt want to deal with anytime soon.  So I called the local contractors to come out and bring it back to life.  I had my tans basically strewn about in the front hallway and the guy saw them and started asking me questions about the military and stuff.  The conversation eventually carried over to the deployment and Afghanistan, things done, things seen.  Anyways, it took about 2 and a half hours and he finally got my furnace going again.

As he was leaving I asked him if I would be getting the bill in the mail.  He turned to me and said not to worry about it, welcomed me home and thanked me for my service.  I was completely at a loss for words as I had heard stories of people's kindness towards returning soldiers, but never thought i'd experience it myself.

That's incredible! They definitely appreciate your service and were glad you came home safely 

 

[PMedMoe]

Again at the gorcery store (different one), I was told "Thank you for your service." from the lottery ticket lady.

 

[JackieGirl]

I'm not in the military, but I witnessed a funny (and kinda nice) exchange a young private and an older lady on the bus in Edmonton one time.

Even though the women had no idea about the military (one of the first things she asked was if he was a marine!) he was very patient with her, and she was grateful for all that he had done for Canada (even though I wasn't entirely sure if she knew just WHAT Canada had done).

Still, at least she didn't thank him for his time spent in Iraq!

 

[kratz]

It is rare (twice) that I have bought gas at the station near the unit. Normally I go home, but when low on fuel, you buy when needed.

This past weekend, the customer behind me noticed me in uniform and asked if I was in the military. Everyone in the store took notice to her question and my reply. I acknowledged I am a sailor and no, I have not been to Afghanistan. She still thanked me for my service and showed me pictures of her family who are serving. I reassured her eveyone has training to do what they are there for [feeling very uncomfortable].

I was put to the front of the line at the cashier, and everyone smiled and one person held the door on my way out.

Our job is as much public relations in our daily lives as it is work.  :nod:

 

[2010newbie]

I was waiting at a bus stop today in my combats and an older gentleman pulled into the parking lot behind me and asked me where I was going. I told him and he offered me a lift, to which I politely declined. He was insistent and after I agreed, he drove me to my destination. Turns out he was a self described "Army Brat" and he currently is a bus driver. We had a nice chat along the way and it was extremely nice of him to go the 15 mins out of his way to drop me off.

Thanks John.

 

[211RadOp]

I was in Toronto this weekend (my daughter and her friend went to see Usher) and we stayed at the Delta Chelsea on Gerrard St.  While I was checking in, the gentleman on the front desk noticed my ID card, as I carry it on top of all of my other ID.  He asked were I was posted and told me his brother is with the QOR.  He then asked me if I had been overseas, so I gave him the brief version of my tours, mentioning that I had returned from my last one in Dec.  After receiving my room keys (one room for the girls and one for my wife and I) he thanked me for my service.  After we dropped the girls off at the ACC for the concert, my wife and I returned to our room to kill time until the concert had finished.  When we walked in, we found a bottle of Canadian sparkling wine and some chocolate covered strawberries.  The note with them said, "With our compliments and thank you for your service".