The Salute
The food arrived, steaming hot. The boys were starving, but before they dug in, the younger boy, just 9 years old, stopped.
He looked at the desserts they were trying to sell. Then he looked at the tall soldier who had just saved their night.
“I want to be just like you when I grow up,” the boy said softly.
Then, he stood up straight, stiffened his small back, and snapped a salute.
It wasn’t perfect form, but it was perfect in spirit. Risdon smiled, a genuine, warm smile that lit up his face. He returned the salute.
Jason Gibson, watching through his phone screen, felt a lump in his throat. He posted the video to Facebook immediately with a caption that would soon be read by millions:
> “I heard the soldier ask the kids if they were hungry… Our troops are always taking care of us.”
The video didn’t just get a few likes. It exploded.