Reports From the Bridge

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 h
eard 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 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.

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