Do you remember how exciting it was to get just a dollar when you were a kid? Did you ever find a twenty-dollar bill in the parking lot? That would make a kid’s week!
Myles Eckert was pretty excited when exactly that happened to him one day going into a Cracker Barrel restaurant. But he didn’t keep the money for long.
Why? He saw a soldier dressed in camo eating lunch there too. He took his prized $20, wrote a note, and gave it to the soldier.
This is what the note said:
Dear Soldier —
My dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here.
We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service.
Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.
Myles told CBS’ Steve Hartman he was going to buy a video game, but he changed his mind. Soldiers remind him of his dad, who was killed in Iraq 5 weeks after Myles was born. He keeps his dad’s dog tags and wedding ring as reminders, but can only imagine what a kind man he was.
I’m sure Sgt. Andy Eckert would be very proud of his son. He’s already following his dad’s selfless example.
Lt. Col. Frank Dailey is the man who received that touching note. He gave the twenty away again, but still has the note and said he looks at it every day. It’s inspired him to give back too, inspired by the example of Myles and of his dad.
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