This past Saturday, I took a neighbor to the airport because she was going to California to visit her family for the holidays.

As I was leaving the airport terminal, I passed by a young man who was leaning against a post smoking a cigarette. I was sort of in a hurry because I had to get to work. Just as I was about to step off of the curb a voice told me to go back and talk to that young man who was smoking the cigarette.

I approached him and told him that I hope I was not bothering him and I asked him if he was in the military.

The young man’s face turned a little red and he gave me a smile and said yes. He informed me that he was a marine. He then told me that he was here in Dayton changing planes because he had finished his duty in Iraq and he was going home for the holidays.

I told him that a voice told me to come back and talk to him. He sort of smiled when I told this to him. He was very pleasant to talk to.

Ironically he works on vehicles and my son is a vehicle driver. I informed him that my son has been in Iraq since August and he is not scheduled to return until this coming February.

Get this…this young man is stationed at Camp LeJune…and Camp LeJune is located somewhere in North Carolina.
I asked the young man where home was and he told me Ada, Oklahoma. I paused for a moment and I said “hey, isn’t that Garth Brooks’s home as well. I must say the young man was very pleased that I had the correct answer.

The young marine and I talked as if we were old friends catching up on news. I learned from him that he had been under a lot of fire but he came out of each firefight without a scratch. He informed me that his unit lost one man and he said it was because this person wanted to try to do things against the rules.

It was finally time for us to say good-bye to each other. We hugged and I must say that when this young man hugged me it was not like a hug from a casual stranger…this hug was warm and very loving.

I wished him well and I told him for about the tenth time that I was very proud of him.

The walk to my car was tearful to say the least.

I said a prayer for that young marine and I was so happy that somewhere in Ada, Oklahoma a family will be very happy that this young man is coming back home to them.

I hope that when my son returns home or, the son or daughter of someone else returns home, I pray that a stranger will welcome them home as well.