We can all fall on hard times and experience tough periods in life. It should go without saying that when we do, we deserve the love and support of those around us to help bring us back to our feet.
That’s doubly true for those brave souls who serve their country and ask for no reward in return.Sadly there are too many veterans left to struggle upon returning from duty. Unless a soldier has served for a certain amount of time, the benefits they receive are often not enough to live on, while others are unsure where to turn once they land on Civvy Street.
Larry Robeson knows that all too well. As per reports, Larry, a Vietnam veteran who could barely afford basic amenities, was down on his luck and left unsure where to turn.
As fate would have it, however, he was about to cross paths with a Fox 5 Surprise Squad, in a grocery store in Las Vegas to pay for people’s groceries. Though Larry was struggling financially, he had still taken his friend Stephanie – a disabled fellow veteran – to the store. Stephanie told Fox 5’s reporter that she was buying food for herself and her dogs, though conceded that she was down to her last $50 and didn’t know what she would do after that.
Dave Hall, the reporter heading up the Surprise Squad, as happy to tell her that he and his team had her groceries covered and Stephanie was thrilled to receive the generous offer.
Dave then noticed Larry, standing quietly behind Stephanie. It turned out Larry, a friend of Stephanie’s husband, had set up the Bones for Blankets club many years previous. The club’s aim? To donate blankets to homeless veterans left on the streets after their service to their country.
Heartbreakingly, Larry established the club after three fellow veterans froze to death. He wanted to make sure no more veterans suffered the same fate.
He explained how Stephanie’s husband was a truck driver who was away a lot, and so he kept Stephane company and helped her get by given the challenges she faced as a result of her disability.
“No vet should be going through what she’s going through,” Larry told the Surprise Squad.
That might have been that, but Dave Hall was adamant that Larry wasn’t going to be leaving the store without the Surprise Squad team paying for his groceries as well.
Larry had only been planning on purchasing dish soap and candy, but Dave told him: “You served us. It’s our turn to serve you now.”
So Larry got to go around the store and pick out whatever he wanted. His total was $278, and Larry was left wiping tears from his eyes after the bill was settled by Dave and the others.
“This is just like overwhelming, I’ve been taking care of myself since I was 13,” Larry said.
Watch Larry’s experience with the Surprise Squad below: