"Semper fi"? No, "Semper Cool"

[67Dart273]

Last night, nothing on TV, I stumbled across THIS story

A guy named Gary Fixler saw combat in the Marines in 'Nam, made it back home, and has been VERY successful in his jewelry store, in Rockland Co, New York

http://www.barryfixler.com/

But then he got robbed at gunpoint by two armed robbers:



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fV4Xqt62pf8"]Gunfight Caught on Tape: Store Owner vs. 2 Armed Robbers - YouTube[/ame]

He hit both robbers, but the big guy in black had a vest on and got away to be caught later on.

The guy in white ended up with a severed spine and died ?a year? later due to complications of his injuries

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fV4Xqt62pf8"]Gunfight Caught on Tape: Store Owner vs. 2 Armed Robbers - YouTube[/ame]

So Barry, who has ALREADY "served his time" for his country, decided he needed to give back. This robbery happened on Valentine's day. He used the next year's Valentine day profits, went out and found a disabled vet, and used the money to help the family taking care of the vet to fix up their house for improved access for the vet.

THEN he wrote the book "Semper Cool" about his exploits in the Marines, and used the profits from that book to help disabled vets.

http://www.sempercool.com/meet-the-author/bio/

 

[41husk]

Great story!!!

 

[dusted72]

If stories like this would make the mainstream media the military wouldn't be looked upon as animals. If there were more stories showing how Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Soldiers were contributing to their community maybe the closed minded people of our country could change their opinions of us. I don't know how many times I read a story online and then scroll down to the comments and it is a bunch of Military bashing piece of **** people that claim to be Americans. It gets old seeing my brothers from decades before me not being treated like heros. When a Man offers his life for our country he is called a baby killer but if they play a sport for millions a year they are considered a hero. To many people live with their heads in their asses in our country.

 

[nothingbutdarts]

if stories like this would make the mainstream media the military wouldn't be looked upon as animals. If there were more stories showing how marines, sailors, airmen, and soldiers were contributing to their community maybe the closed minded people of our country could change their opinions of us.

When a man offers his life for our country he is called a baby killer but if they play a sport for millions a year they are considered a hero. To many people live with their heads in their asses in our country.

x2

 

[theothergarth]

Unfortunately, the media waste no time printing the stories about the idiotic minority of US military. The few that make the bad decisions.....such as pissing on the bodies of dead enemy soldiers. The soldiers/marines/airmen/seamen that spend their off time volunteering in the local villages and orphanages, rarely make the news. Damn shame!

 

[cudaspaz]

One good thing is that one would be very hard pressed to see anyone spit on a soldier returning from battle these days.
I think the surrounding witnesses would lay down a good *** beatin on anyone who dared try.
Not tooting my own horn here, but whenever I go on a trip and have extra spending money in my pocket, you know the couple hundred emergency bucks you throw in your wallet just in case something goes wrong and you need it, I always find a soldier in the airport and give him my extra cash in an envelope and ask him or her to take their spouse out to dinner...just tell them it's a small gift of appreciation.

Onetime a group of us were down in Bay St. Louis Mississippi on a disaster clean up effort after Katrina.
Met the most wonderful,young female server at a restaurant on our last day there.
It was the only restaurant open and it had the best smorgasbord you could ever imagine.

Our server kept the drinks coming and really worked hard to get all fourteen of us all that we needed with a smile on her face as well as taking care of several other tables.
She told us that she was staying with an Uncle because her Parents house literally blew down the street into a neighbors yard.....and we actually passed the house while touring the devastation.
She also said that her Parents both temporarily lost their jobs because the company they worked for together lost their building and all their equipment and inventory was destroyed, but she maintained a sunshine attitude and said everything would work out fine.

This got us thinking.
Since all of our expenses were covered we decided to tally up all of,our spending money and give her the tip of a lifetime since we all brought a couple extra hundred bucks just in case so we secretly went to the manager and told him what we were about to do and said he could keep half for his restaurant repairs but he declined and said she was worth giving it all to her and that his insurance covered all of his damages.
It was just shy of $4-k.

We asked him not to give it to her until we left.....so while we were loading up into the vans we noticed him walk over to her, pull her aside, handed her an envelope and said something to her with his hand on her shoulder....and immediately she broke down and literally slid her back down the wall and sat down and sobbed.
If you ever want to know how to make 14 big, burly guys cry like babies, this is how you do it Brother.

Probably one of the best moments I've ever experienced.