A 71-year-old man, who served two tours with the Marines in Vietnam, confronted a biker for parking in a “Veteran Only” space outside a building. He noticed the biker, appearing to be in his forties and dressed in worn clothes with no military insignia, as he pulled into the spot. The man expressed his frustration loudly, demanding the biker read the sign and accusing him of not being a true veteran.
As onlookers gathered, the biker remained calm. After a moment, he asked if the man wanted proof of his service. Without waiting for a response, he lifted his shirt to reveal severe burn scars on his left side and a surgical scar down his chest. The man noticed seven names tattooed over the worst of the scars, with one name being his son, Danny, who had died in Afghanistan sixteen years prior. He recalled the Marines informing him that Danny had died instantly from an IED explosion.
The biker told the man that he had been searching for him for many years. He revealed he was with Danny when he died and mentioned that Danny had a promise for him to relay; he had read something important, an email that only the man and his late wife, Carol, knew about. The man was stunned, grasping his truck’s side mirror for support. The biker explained that he had found the man because of the truck, which had a decal of Danny’s boot camp photo and name on it.
The biker, introduced as Ray Mercer, explained that he had been visiting various VFW posts searching for Danny’s father. He had been doing this for months and had finally recognized Danny’s photo on the man’s truck. The two men then moved away from the crowd to a more private area. Ray’s scars continued down his arm, and they both sat at a picnic table. In that moment, the man was struck by how his earlier judgment of the biker had changed.
How do you think we should treat people based on appearances?
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Source: bikersbyte.com, by David Hog