A Snake
Member #024
The Old Man...
>
>
>
> 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...and 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.
>
>
>
> GOD OUR FATHER, WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY
> WORRIES; AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY IN JESUS ' NAME. AND PLEASE
> PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS AND WATCH OVER OUR TROOPS WHO ARE DEFENDING THOSE
>FREEDOMS. AMEN
>
>
>
> These vets are now dying at about 1,000 a day.
>
>
>
> 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...and 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.
>
>
>
> GOD OUR FATHER, WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY
> WORRIES; AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY IN JESUS ' NAME. AND PLEASE
> PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS AND WATCH OVER OUR TROOPS WHO ARE DEFENDING THOSE
>FREEDOMS. AMEN
>
>
>
> These vets are now dying at about 1,000 a day.
