I'd just responded to Harrygoodwrench's post, and the last lines, "God bless our troops" and "God bless my son serving..." stired old memories. I ETS'd from the Army in late November 1985. I was stationed in Germany, and my family knew that I was due to come home, but not when. I wanted it to be a surprise. After flying to Fort Dix, NJ. to outprocess, I flew into O'Hare, and caught a bus to home in Elkhart, IN. I went to the nearest payphone and tried calling a few times to say "I'm here, I'm home", but they surprised me too. No one was home. I threw the duffle bag on my shoulder and started walking. A mile or so down the road, was a restaraunt/tavern I was unfamiliar with, so I went to the back door to see if there was a payphone. I left my gear outside, and walked in, taking off my cap and silently looking around at eyes staring back at me. I was wearing my dress greens for the last time ever, for my family, and wasn't sure how our society would accept me. I was overseas, and had heard that it wasn't populaar to be a GI back home. An elderly couple that I'd never seen was having dinner, and as the wife looked at me, the husband sat his flatware down, got up, and came over to me, reaching out to shake my hand, and just said "Thank you young man". Then he went and sat down, and began eating again. I looked at his wife, and after giving me a smile and a wink, picked up her flatware and began eating.I was home. I truely was home, and a day or two later had the most memorable Thanksgiving of my life. That was decades ago, and to this day I will never forget that elderly couple. And when I see a man or woman in uniform, no matter what I'm doing at the time, I will stop and go over to them as that elderly gentleman did to me, and simply "thank them" for being there, for us. So Harry, and all others, when your loved ones get home one day, give them a pat on the back from Mark-IN., and a proud thanks. May God bless each and every last one of them, and these United States of America. I have to go do some work now. Mark Krzyzanowski.
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