I was honored today

Ron Wood · 04-23-2014, 07:47 PM

This afternoon I was making my usual run to Lowes for gardening supplies. About a mile before I got to the store there was an elderly gentleman in the street pushing a walker. He waved at me to flag me down. I stopped and asked what he wanted. He was clean, well dressed and wearing a Philippine campaign ribbon ball cap, obviously not a homeless person. He was tired and wondered if I could give him a ride to where he could call a taxi. It was apparent that he was a little bit disoriented and, although quite hard of hearing, generally pleasant and coherent. I got him and his walker into the car (right in the middle of traffic…folks were great and waited patiently until he was well on board).

He had a handwritten piece of paper with an address well over on the other side of town. In El Paso that translates to about 40 miles. He said that he could get a taxi but would be glad to pay me if I could drive him there. He said that it was his home and that he had been with his son but the son had moved and he wanted to get back home.

I told him I would find him help and transportation so I took him to the regional police station nearby. To make a long story short, he is a 95 year old WWII veteran and had just been reported as a “missing person”. He had wandered away from his son’s home where he now lives (the address on the paper really was his home before he moved in with his son). The police were able to track down his family and one of the “Great Generation” is home safely tonight. I am honored and blessed. Our old soldiers are a national treasure and we need to look out for them.

lugerholsterrepair · 04-23-2014, 08:20 PM

"It's good to be a great man but it's great to be a good man." Joseph F Pirolo Sr.

cirelaw · 04-23-2014, 08:37 PM

Those latter day heros are becoming few and far between! Ron you have always been a Gentleman with a heart of Gold~~ Eric

George Anderson · 04-23-2014, 08:59 PM

Good man brother Wood.

rolandtg · 04-23-2014, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Anderson

Good man brother Wood.

Indeed a great deed!

Did you by chance ask him if he brought anything back from Philippines?

wlyon · 04-23-2014, 11:40 PM

Well done Ron!!!!! Nice story, good ending brought to us by a nice man. Thank you. Bill

tudorbug · 04-24-2014, 08:57 AM

Great work, Ron! I extend my salute in appreciation for your superb effort.

David

John Sabato · 04-24-2014, 10:10 AM

As the son of a late WW2 hero myself, my hat's off to you Ron. For those who don't know, from the last statistic I saw on this, between 1200 and 1800 WW2 vets go to their final reward every day. I know of only two remaining living members of my father's old outfit, the 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division.

Curss · 04-24-2014, 11:40 AM

Very few people do the right thing now a days, even fewer are kind enough to care. Well done!

rhuff · 04-24-2014, 02:52 PM

Thank you so much for what you did for this individual, and for sharing it with us. We all tend to get involved in ourselves and our "World" and develop tunnel vision. Sometimes things like this bring us back to reality. Great gesture for a needy person.

UF-28 · 04-24-2014, 07:33 PM

Great way to save the day ,that could have been a travesty . These great men are all heroes and what they have sacrificed and done for us ,so we can live the way we do today. Just a short note I can appreciate what these brave men have done as my father of 88 yrs old was pulled out of high school in the heart of WW11 at 18 yrs old (before graduating) and put in the Navy as a radioman. His ship was sunk , but he survived ,for if he didn't I would not be here today. That generation is the greatest generation as they all came together and sacrificed so much to keep the American dream alive for us all. Just one example So we can voice our opinions freely on this forum and collect those cool Lugers we all love
RJ

Sonofeugene · 04-25-2014, 01:37 AM

Hats off to you!

I wish my father was still around. He served with the 36th out of Texas and would now be 89. 54 is way too young to die.

Michael Zeleny · 04-25-2014, 02:26 AM

Thanks for your kindness, Ron. My mother did a lot of wandering while I was taking care of her after the death of my father. They were both Red Army WWII veterans.

Sergio Natali · 04-25-2014, 01:31 PM

Ron,

Chapeau, here in Italy today we celebrate the XXV April 1945, which was the Liberation Day from the Nazism and the born of the democratic Italy, for which we should thank also the thousands of people of that "Great Generation" that paid with their blood for our freedom.

Sergio

jagervw · 05-21-2014, 09:19 AM

Ron, thank you...my father also a WW2 veteran (passed away now) - if he was in the same position as this old soul, I would want the same kindness you afforded him.

K.Wilhelm · 05-21-2014, 09:45 AM

Way to go, Ron. Yes, we are indeed losing our "greatest generation" at an alarming rate. I hope we are all remembering to say thanks for their service to our country when we encounter not only a WWII vet, but any veteran or service member of our great armed forces!

Just yesterday, I saw a vehicle at the Post Office with a Vietnam Campaign Ribbon sticker on it. The Vietnam Vet was just about to get in when I called out to him from my car and thanked him for his service. He got the biggest smile on his face and thanked me for remembering. I'm sure it made his day, but it made mine also.

Bill

cirelaw · 05-21-2014, 11:59 AM

My dad served in the Navy and was also a hard hat diver and demolitions. Dad also serving on the USN Thorn among others during WW2 in the pacific~ Later he was a consultant on Sea Hunt with Loyd Bridges and appeared as a double. He organized reunions for Navy shipmates. He died of lung cancer in 1985~ He was a compulsive smoker up to his death~

04-23-2014, 07:47 PM	#1
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,035 Thanks: 1,106 Thanked 5,242 Times in 1,719 Posts	I was honored today This afternoon I was making my usual run to Lowes for gardening supplies. About a mile before I got to the store there was an elderly gentleman in the street pushing a walker. He waved at me to flag me down. I stopped and asked what he wanted. He was clean, well dressed and wearing a Philippine campaign ribbon ball cap, obviously not a homeless person. He was tired and wondered if I could give him a ride to where he could call a taxi. It was apparent that he was a little bit disoriented and, although quite hard of hearing, generally pleasant and coherent. I got him and his walker into the car (right in the middle of traffic…folks were great and waited patiently until he was well on board). He had a handwritten piece of paper with an address well over on the other side of town. In El Paso that translates to about 40 miles. He said that he could get a taxi but would be glad to pay me if I could drive him there. He said that it was his home and that he had been with his son but the son had moved and he wanted to get back home. I told him I would find him help and transportation so I took him to the regional police station nearby. To make a long story short, he is a 95 year old WWII veteran and had just been reported as a “missing person”. He had wandered away from his son’s home where he now lives (the address on the paper really was his home before he moved in with his son). The police were able to track down his family and one of the “Great Generation” is home safely tonight. I am honored and blessed. Our old soldiers are a national treasure and we need to look out for them. __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction Last edited by Ron Wood; 04-24-2014 at 12:30 AM.

04-23-2014, 08:20 PM	#2
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,775 Thanks: 4,995 Thanked 3,133 Times in 1,439 Posts	"It's good to be a great man but it's great to be a good man." Joseph F Pirolo Sr. __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

04-23-2014, 11:40 PM	#6
wlyon Lifer 2X Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: May 2005 Location: Somewhere in Montana Posts: 2,652 Thanks: 3,210 Thanked 2,613 Times in 969 Posts	Well done Ron!!!!! Nice story, good ending brought to us by a nice man. Thank you. Bill __________________ Bill Lyon

04-24-2014, 10:10 AM	#8
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,155 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,308 Times in 1,098 Posts	As the son of a late WW2 hero myself, my hat's off to you Ron. For those who don't know, from the last statistic I saw on this, between 1200 and 1800 WW2 vets go to their final reward every day. I know of only two remaining living members of my father's old outfit, the 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

04-24-2014, 11:40 AM	#9
Curss User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 307 Thanks: 304 Thanked 98 Times in 75 Posts	Very few people do the right thing now a days, even fewer are kind enough to care. Well done! __________________ -Chris

04-23-2014, 08:37 PM	#3
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,138 Times in 2,176 Posts	Those latter day heros are becoming few and far between! Ron you have always been a Gentleman with a heart of Gold~~ Eric

04-23-2014, 08:59 PM	#4
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,531 Times in 788 Posts	Good man brother Wood.

04-24-2014, 08:57 AM	#7
tudorbug Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Georgia Posts: 387 Thanks: 0 Thanked 40 Times in 29 Posts	Great work, Ron! I extend my salute in appreciation for your superb effort. David

04-24-2014, 02:52 PM	#10
rhuff Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Az. Posts: 2,305 Thanks: 2,736 Thanked 991 Times in 727 Posts	Thank you so much for what you did for this individual, and for sharing it with us. We all tend to get involved in ourselves and our "World" and develop tunnel vision. Sometimes things like this bring us back to reality. Great gesture for a needy person.

04-24-2014, 07:33 PM	#11
UF-28 User Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Toms River,NJ Posts: 37 Thanks: 56 Thanked 14 Times in 4 Posts	Greatest generation! Great way to save the day ,that could have been a travesty . These great men are all heroes and what they have sacrificed and done for us ,so we can live the way we do today. Just a short note I can appreciate what these brave men have done as my father of 88 yrs old was pulled out of high school in the heart of WW11 at 18 yrs old (before graduating) and put in the Navy as a radioman. His ship was sunk , but he survived ,for if he didn't I would not be here today. That generation is the greatest generation as they all came together and sacrificed so much to keep the American dream alive for us all. Just one example So we can voice our opinions freely on this forum and collect those cool Lugers we all love RJ __________________ ANY LUGER IS A GOOD LUGER

04-25-2014, 01:37 AM	#12
Sonofeugene User Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 157 Thanks: 1 Thanked 118 Times in 64 Posts	Hats off to you! I wish my father was still around. He served with the 36th out of Texas and would now be 89. 54 is way too young to die.

04-25-2014, 02:26 AM	#13
Michael Zeleny Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 525 Thanks: 129 Thanked 139 Times in 76 Posts	Thanks for your kindness, Ron. My mother did a lot of wandering while I was taking care of her after the death of my father. They were both Red Army WWII veterans. __________________ Michael Zeleny@post.harvard.edu -- http://larvatus.livejournal.com/ -- 7576 Willow Glen Road, Los Angeles, CA 90046 -- 323.363.1860 All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett

04-25-2014, 01:31 PM	#14
Sergio Natali User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Somewhere in Northern Italy Posts: 2,646 Thanks: 1,087 Thanked 1,783 Times in 1,007 Posts	Ron, Chapeau, here in Italy today we celebrate the XXV April 1945, which was the Liberation Day from the Nazism and the born of the democratic Italy, for which we should thank also the thousands of people of that "Great Generation" that paid with their blood for our freedom. Sergio __________________ "Originality can't be restored and should be at the top of any collector's priority list.

05-21-2014, 09:19 AM	#15
jagervw User Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: S. Florida Posts: 47 Thanks: 52 Thanked 26 Times in 13 Posts	Ron, thank you...my father also a WW2 veteran (passed away now) - if he was in the same position as this old soul, I would want the same kindness you afforded him.

05-21-2014, 09:45 AM	#16
K.Wilhelm User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Central Colorado Posts: 215 Thanks: 45 Thanked 109 Times in 66 Posts	Kind act! Way to go, Ron. Yes, we are indeed losing our "greatest generation" at an alarming rate. I hope we are all remembering to say thanks for their service to our country when we encounter not only a WWII vet, but any veteran or service member of our great armed forces! Just yesterday, I saw a vehicle at the Post Office with a Vietnam Campaign Ribbon sticker on it. The Vietnam Vet was just about to get in when I called out to him from my car and thanked him for his service. He got the biggest smile on his face and thanked me for remembering. I'm sure it made his day, but it made mine also. Bill __________________ NRA Endowment Life member Proud veteran of the Naval Security Group

05-21-2014, 11:59 AM	#17
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,138 Times in 2,176 Posts	My dad served in the Navy and was also a hard hat diver and demolitions. Dad also serving on the USN Thorn among others during WW2 in the pacific~ Later he was a consultant on Sea Hunt with Loyd Bridges and appeared as a double. He organized reunions for Navy shipmates. He died of lung cancer in 1985~ He was a compulsive smoker up to his death~ Attached Thumbnails