Makes you wish you could do this...

[dev]

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat
down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight.
'I'm glad I have a good book to read and perhaps I
will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down
the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally
surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.
'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated
nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for
special training, and then we're being deployed to
Afghanistan .

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was
made that sack lunches were available for five dollars... It
would be several hours before we reached the east, and I
quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time....

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask
his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems
like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably
wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get
to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were
buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed
the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch
to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and
squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.
'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you
are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to
where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and
asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she
asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning
a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.
'This is yours with thanks...'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of
the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me.
'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here,
take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Aircraft
Pilot coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as
he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he
was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane.
When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand,
an said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the
Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I
was a soldier and I was a military pilot... Once, someone
bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never
forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from
all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could
stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in
front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He
left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started
to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man
who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned,
and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five
dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers
gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them
and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you
some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a
sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and
respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to
my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These
soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could
only give them a couple of meals..

It seemed so little...


Nice thought sent to me by email.

Regards,

Dev

[ravineet]

We have indian soldiers fighting for us everyday but don't do anything for them. After the sixth pay commission recently there was such a hue & cry that the central govt employees have got a 100 % pay increase. But has anyone botherd to find out how much a soldier gets and what are his living conditions. A lot of us feel happy in reading stories but how many of us have gone and spoken to a army man on street or a train.

No offence to Dev personnaly but I am talking about the aam janta.

[ssmickey.32]

... i do... i pay taxes.. direct & indirect...
but... i don't get the 'free of cost' travel facility / 'canteen' facility / housing facility/ servants facility and other many more facilities that don't show up in their pay scales but remember someone ... somewhere... is paying...

... no hard feelings meant... just the other way round...

best regards..

[nagarifle]

nice one mate, you can be sure i will pass this on.

[dev]

nice one mate, you can be sure i will pass this on.

-- Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:59 pm --

We have indian soldiers fighting for us everyday but don't do anything for them. After the sixth pay commission recently there was such a hue & cry that the central govt employees have got a 100 % pay increase. But has anyone botherd to find out how much a soldier gets and what are his living conditions. A lot of us feel happy in reading stories but how many of us have gone and spoken to a army man on street or a train.

No offence to Dev personnaly but I am talking about the aam janta.

i luckily have some friends in the army and enjoy their company. but i would love to do something for an army grunt if i come across one in need.

Dev

[ravineet]

travel facility is once in a year from place of duty to home town. Canteen yes. housing... try and visit the house of any Jawan or an officer for that matter. See the kind of maintenance the house require. There are no free servants. and above all will someone be ready to put his life in the line of fire for these so called facilities.

The issue here was not whether anyone is paying taxes or not. I thought the article was abut doing that bit extra which makes a lot of difference for some one else.

[goodboy_mentor]

ssmickey.32,

I fully and very strongly disagree with your idea, though I am not a professional soldier, but the "soldier" in me got aroused. No personal attack on you or any individual, but on such ideas that float around in this country.

Soldiers ARE giving you and me the most fundamental thing of all, is the dignity to live with FREEDOM and HONOUR, at the cost of their lives. Can you pay them back materially by paying taxes, free travel etc. etc. facility. Soldiers die for the honour and respect they get from their countrymen. Yes by giving them good pay and lifestyle is just among many "unpayable" ways by which a nation tries to keep them motivated and ready to put their lives in danger.

If you are actually concerned about the proper utilization of your money that is being paid by you as taxes, please do not envy or target the soldiers, rather target and fight the corrupt political system, political leaders and bureaucrats.

"Britain never forgets its war heroes. Every major landmark in London is named after distinguished soldiers and not politicians,` he pointed out proudly. To prove his point further, he recalled, `Before World War II, it was not uncommon to see placards hanging outside some restaurants in Paris which read `Dogs, lackeys and soldiers not allowed`. On the other hand, even pregnant women used to get up and offer seats to soldiers in London buses. When the war broke out, France capitulated in no time while Britain remained undefeated."

from http://sify.com/news/why-india-is-not-a ... dicfe.html

[cottage cheese]

If you are actually concerned about the proper utilization of your money that is being paid by you as taxes, please do not envy or target the soldiers, rather target and fight the corrupt political system, political leaders and bureaucrats.

...and the longer I live and discover my country, the more I am inclined to think that its the bureaucracy that sits on equal footing with the political system in destroying our county. On some counts I'd rate the bureaucracy in general as a more sinister and resident cancer because politicians come and go...bureaucrats tend to stay.

Someone mentioned 6th Pay Commission... well for a slothful bureaucracy for whom time and efficiency are meaningless expressions, look at the lightning speed and efficiency with which the 6th PC recommendations were implemented... to me that is a reflection of what the self-serving idiocracy is all about.

[marksman]

Of Course we do Ravineet !!!!!!, I mean our representatives certainly do. They provide sub standard Bullet proof jackets and Head gears. Not to forget the Grenades that don't go off, ammo that misfires, INSAAS's that jam and above all, we do not hesitate to provide sub standard coffins to get them back home. After all, why spend more on a guy who's dead already. To top all this, our Babus make their widows slog for years before allotting them their promised land. So much for for their sacrifice.
Marksman

[ssmickey.32]

We have indian soldiers fighting for us everyday but don't do anything for them.

No offence to Dev personnaly but I am talking about the aam janta.

First thing is i am a part of 'aam janta' and for that matter everyone... there are few who believe that 'aam janta' is something different from me... i am the special one... are very wrong... anyway...

Frankly speaking.... I never felt that I am not doing anything for our soldiers or on the larger and wider scale.. for our govt... i am actually doing in the way i am meant to do... i sincerely work hard & pay huge taxes honestly that helps in building up the nation in various ways... the funds may be utilised in building bridges or making salary payments to it's employee's... whatever... but i am working hard day and night & contributing... the aam janta is contributing... the whole India is contributing in it's own way... in the best possible way that every person is capable of... however all the fingers are not equal... how can u say that aam janta is not doing...

As far as doing that extra bit is concerned... I personally feel that if u have 'UNCONDITIONALGIVING' in your nature and dime in your wallet and there is a 'genuine' needy out there... believe me... ur heart will tend to give & help... then be it a soldier or student or any poor or anyone for that matter...

But has anyone botherd to find out how much a soldier gets

Further, my intention to point out towards those facilities was to kindly add all the facilities in there pay scale too if u are saying that 'how much a soldier gets'... what is wrong in that??? maybe with your frame of mind u r seeing but i do not....

.. & when did i say that I do not respect my soldiers???

Goodboy mentor:

Can you pay them back materially by paying taxes

... no.. u got me wrong dear... it is not a question of paying them back... 'no one can pay them back',... it is a question of ur contribution... in a place where i am placed... the work i do and the contribution i make towards indian govt...

it's a simple thing but got complicated here... but still I am sorry if i have hurt anyone's feelings...

Best regards...

ssmickey.32

[goodboy_mentor]

i don't get the 'free of cost' travel facility / 'canteen' facility / housing facility/ servants facility and other many more facilities that don't show up in their pay scales but remember someone ... somewhere... is paying...

In return for just the above(costing peanuts compared hundreds maybe thousands of crores of illegal money that is wasted/swindled/accepted/accumulated by corrupt politicians/bureaucrats), and for some honour and respect in the hearts of their countrymen, what the soldiers ensure for the nation is beyond any measure in terms of money.

Yes I do agree we all are paying moey to government and should ensure the money is well spent. For this we need to look where money is not being well spent. Money spent on soldiers pay/facilities etc. is money well spent.

If one has to compare, he should compare with the amounts of illegal money earned by corrupt politicians & bureaucrats. Or some industrialists/CEOs or some cricket or film-stars that have been needlessly jacked up by "Aam Janta"

If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. - Anatole France

[ravineet]

I think we all agree that a 'soldier' is ready to give up his life so that we can live in peace. I totally agree with goodboy that the money spent on soldiers is money well spent.

In the 6th pay commission the status of armymen has been lowered as compared to babus. This has been happening in all the pay commissions. The service chiefs who used to be in the first ten in seniority about 30 years are now somewhere in 20-30.

Try and observe how a T.T on train behaves with a soldier, as is the soldier is a burden. Just because the soldier cannot offer him bakhshish or he is travelling on a free ticket to his home town.

We saw mass support for the soldiers during Kargil & Mumbai attack. It is the soldier who is looked upon everytime there is a need, be it the floods, earthquake, sunami, etc. Where is the civil administration and bandobast that time.

Still a soldier does not crib. All he requires is little respect.

My request is next time you see a soldier in a fix try and help him out rather than ignoring it. Be it when he is trying to get a seat in the train or he is struggling to get his drivers license. Some of us may be in a postion to help him out.

After all he is also a brother with arms as all of us are or are trying to be.

[goodboy_mentor]

I agree with Ravineet,

I would request all to read "Why India is not a great nation" http://sify.com/news/why-india-is-not-a ... dicfe.html Our "Aam Janta" rallies a fleeting emotional mass support only during a crisis, then again goes back to its own ways.

Important questions we need to ask ourselves:
"As India celebrates 62 years of Independence, one tends to wonder: what makes nations great? Why is the US an undisputed world power? Why has Britain remained undefeated for centuries? Why has India succumbed to foreign rule so often? Why is India still struggling with internal dissensions and fissiparous forces? What does India lack?"

[m24]

Good one Dev. I'm also forwarding the same.

Regards