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...& those who supported them.

 

Remember, freedom isn't "free." Thousands have paid the price so you

and I can enjoy what we have today.