5 Men Stare At Vet, Man Has No Idea What’s Coming

Sit And Watch

He tilted his cap lower in an attempt to hide himself. He couldn’t believe what he saw and he was trying desperately to distance himself from it by keeping a low profile.

He was itching to do something about it, but he had to stop himself because it was an old habit he knew he shouldn’t act on. He was leading a new life and he had to just sit and watch what was happening in front of him.

Date Night

Lou Zezoff couldn’t wait to have dinner with his wife at the Cracker Barrel. The 74-year-old man and his wife Annette were going to have a date night together.

He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into a medium-rare steak and beautiful baked potatoes on the side. If he was feeling particularly hungry he’d get a brownie for dessert. But he didn’t know what was about to happen to him and his wife.

Always Vigilant

These days Lou lived a quiet life in Illinois. He lived in Granite City, the perfect place to retire. After many years of painful service jobs, he was happy to be retired, but she still always stayed vigilant due to his days in Vietnam.

After the war, he became a detective with added to his awareness. So it only took a glance for him to notice something.

Staring

Lou was trying to admire how dressed up and beautiful his wife looked tonight. She had really put in a lot of effort for their date night. She was even smiling, not just at him, but at all the staff.

But he couldn’t help but notice that a few tables over, some young men were stealing glancing at Annette, he couldn’t stand it.

Trouble?

Lou saw that they were fit, even though he was a veteran, he was 74 now and couldn’t stand up to more than one of them if trouble did come. He felt powerless, and he hated it.

The guys looked over like they could break him in two. It seemed that a war of side glances would ensue as they whispered to each other as he tried to order dinner for his wife.

Who Were They?

It didn’t take a detective, which he used to be, to know that they were being eyed by the table of men.

He knew that he had never arrested these men, they were far too young. Maybe they were the children of someone he’d arrested back in the day? Even the staff soon noticed something was going on.

Whispers

Lou could feel something nagging at the back of his mind. He noticed something strange about their hair.

When the steak got to his table he was quite sure now. But as soon as he felt he knew what was going on, he saw one of the guys pointing towards him while whispering to the waitress. What was going on?

Staff In On It

The waitress had an expression of disbelief from whatever they told her. Whatever it was, it was big.

Annette could see the concern in his posture and tried to reassure him with a gentle pat of his hand. She wasn’t as curious as he was, but then one of them got up and started walking towards him.

The Look He Gave Him

The man who got up was clearly the biggest of the group. He was clean-shaven and had a very sharp haircut, something familiar about it.

He walked in a specific stance and had a glint in his eyes. Lou could tell that this man had done some questionable things, he could see it in his eyes.

Thanks

The man stopped dead in front of him and looked him in the eye. He then raised his arm and extended a hand.

“I saw your hat, sir. My fellow officers and I just wanted to thank you for your service to this country.” Lou felt instant relief. But things had just started.

More Than Words

The others stood up and came over as well. Lou might have been an old soldier, but he could still blush.

hey all thanked him over and over for his years in military. They shared a few, brief stories of their own service and struggles. Then the handed him the dinner bill.

Many Tears

It had been paid for. Lou felt the tears well up and trickle down his cheeks. He knew better than most that solider didn’t get paid much.

This was a lot for the boys to give out. He tried to insist they didn’t have to, but their response made him cry harder.

Show Of Respect

The five men stood in a line and gave him the sharpest, crispest salute he had every seen in his life.

The rest of the restaurant had been watching the scene unfold … and then joined in. They clapped, cheers, and thanked him as well. It felt like his heart was going to explode.

Hard Life

Lou knew that when men and women who came home from service, didn’t always get a happy ending.

There were physical and mental barriers that were sometimes impossible to over come. He had been lucky. Now, looking at the newest generation, he was sure of one thing.

Special Bond

The comradery within the military didn’t just span across countries, it had bridged generations as well.

They were all brothers and sisters in arms. It was a special bond that he was forever grateful for. Somehow, he was going to pay this forward. But this was not the first time someone was blown away by an amazing display of patriotism…

A Night Out

She couldn’t believe that the hostess was lying to her. She had been waiting for what seemed like an age just to get a table, and her kids were starting to grow restless. And when she saw through the lie her server had told her, she was livid.

She sighed. The children were growing hungrier and more irritable by the second. Any minute now, she knew all hell was about to break loose. She flagged a passing waitress, but before she could open her mouth to speak, Maddi, her youngest, began to shriek.

Celebrations

Kate Bradford, a single mother of two, was no stranger to the difficulties of finding a family-friendly restaurant. But at last, she had found the perfect diner.

Tonight was her father’s birthday and they had wanted to celebrate with a steak dinner, so she made a reservation for a booth at 6 PM at the Texas Roadhouse, just a few blocks from her home. What could possibly go wrong?

Little Monsters

Kate, as any mother of young children would, was experiencing immense anxiety over the impending restaurant trip.

She had read the horror stories written by mothers and the venom spewed by childless diners in blogs and reviews, but she had the foresight to prepare for any eventuality in advance. Or so she thought.

Prepared For The Worst

Armed with a diaper bag, crayons, puzzles, toys, and other distractions, Kate arrived at the Texas Roadhouse with trepidation–3 and 6-year-old in tow.

They were 15 minutes early but were hoping to be seated immediately. The diner didn’t look too busy, Kate noted with relief. Cole and Maddi were already growing restless, and Kate was already starting to regret her decision.

Tense

The hostess greeted them with a smile, but when she saw the two small children she frowned. Kate’s nerves were raw with tension and she was waiting for the worst–a snide comment, a judging look, anything…and she was ready to retaliate.

They had just as much right to be here as anybody else, she kept telling herself. “We have a reservation,” Kate said, cracking a smile.

Waiting Game

The hostess looked her name up in the book and guided them to the waiting area and apologized, saying that they were a little early and would have to wait for a table to become available. “Fair enough,” Kate said in dismay as Cole started to clench his fists.

“I’m hungry, mommy!” he whined. “We can’t eat without Grandpa anyway, honey,” she reasoned gently.

Anticipation

The bar area was packed with men that night, and there was a big game on TV. Kate lifted Cole and then Maddi onto the high bar stools at a table in the corner, as far away from the noise as possible.

She hoped they wouldn’t have to wait long. Cole swung his legs repeatedly, kicking the table with his sneakers. Ten minutes of waiting turned into fifteen, and Kate was about to lose her patience.

Bathroom Trip

Kate scanned the faces jostling through the crowded bar. Her father, Joel, was late. She picked up her phone and dialed his number, but there was no answer, and she started to worry. Cole and Maddi held their birthday gifts, and Cole started to fidget.

Then, he looked up and stated matter-of-factly that he needed to use the bathroom. But when Kate accompanied him to the restroom, it became all too clear that the hostess had lied to her.

Discovery

There were diners in all the booths, except one, in the far corner. At first, Kate thought that there must have been some kind of mistake, but then she started to fume.

Why wouldn’t the roadhouse let them have the booth? They advertised themselves as a family restaurant when they clearly weren’t. That’s when Kate snapped the picture that took Facebook by storm.

Losing Her Cool

Turning to the nearest waitress, she asked why they had been waiting for all this time when there was a booth available. But just then Maddi started to have a toddler meltdown of epic proportions.

She stamped her feet and started to shriek, and Kate had finally had enough.

An Empty Booth

“There is an empty booth! I’ll show you!” Kate snapped. This wasn’t the first time she had endured terrible service because she had disruptive children, but this was really just too much.

She got up and started to lead the confused server to the dining area, and pointed triumphantly. “Right there, in the corner!”

Confrontation

The waitress stammered, bewildered, plates of steaming food sat poised on her arms. Kate had blindsided her with her confrontation.

She was just doing her job. She started to explain, but as Kate drew closer, she felt her smug face fall as she realized her terrible mistake. The table was unoccupied, but it wasn’t empty.

Reserved?

The table had been reserved for some VIP guests. At first, Kate was confused–was there some sort of conspiracy going on here?

Places had been set, it seemed, but the guests hadn’t arrived. She was right to be annoyed, It was reserved for ghosts. But then, Kate’s stomach started to turn as she took it all in. It was a lonely table.

Something Terrible

At that moment, Kate wished that the ground would open up and swallow her. Here she was, complaining, while she sat and waited for a table so she could have a steak dinner with her family.

The gravity of the situation hit home as she understood how lucky she was…her problems were small. Something terrible had happened to these men who were supposed to be in that booth tonight.

An Eerie Sight

The table was neatly set for five, and there was a vase in the middle of the table that held a miniature American Flag. There was also a full-sized flag hanging on the wall, lit by a single candle. It was an eerily forlorn sight, and Kate’s heart filled with sadness when she realized what it all meant.

There was a letter, typed and framed upright, and when Kate read the words, her heart broke.

Tribute

Kate’s eyes filled with tears as she realized that the party of five who the table had been meticulously set for was not going to walk into the doors of the Texas Roadhouse anytime soon.

Her face flushed with shame, and she knew that this particular group of men was never going to be able to enjoy the diner’s trademark ribeye steak, ever again.

Fallen Officers

The framed text read: “We remember and honor the five slain police officers, Sergeant Michael J. Smith, Officer Michael Krol, Officer Patrick Zamarripa, Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens, and Mr. Brent Thompson, who worked for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department, that the Texas Roadhouse restaurant reserved a table for.”

“…We thank you for your service. May you rest in peace.”

A Somber Note

Kate’s father, Joel, arrived and found Kate standing motionless at the memorial table. Cole and Maddi were also quiet for once, as if somehow understanding the somber tone of their mother’s discovery.

Joel apologized to his daughter for being late, and just then a waitress walked up with a smile.

A Tragedy

“Bradford? Party of four? Your booth is ready.” At their freshly cleared table, Kate sat in silence as she thought about what she had just seen. She knew in the back of her mind that there had been some sort of tragedy, but she hadn’t been paying attention.

Then she turned to her father and asked: “Who are the Dallas 5?”

The Dallas 5

The table had been set for the “Dallas 5”, 5 brave police officers who had died while in the line of duty. The incident was deemed the most deadly for law enforcement since 9/11.

The tragedy occurred on July 7, 2016. A man named Micah Xavier Johnson had ambushed and fired upon a group of police officers in Dallas, Texas.

Never Forgotten

Micah Xavier Johnson killed five officers and injured nine others. Two civilians were also wounded. Johnson was an Army Reserve Afghan War veteran who was outraged over police shootings, and this drove him to commit the atrocity.

But there was one restaurant that was not going to let these policemen’s brave efforts go unnoticed.

Making A Difference

The Texas Roadhouse, In addition to the heartbreaking tribute table, donated 5% of all sales on that memorable day to the Assist the Officer Foundation (run by the Dallas Police Association).

This organisation provides assistance to officers and their families in the event of illness, accidents, and other events that lead to loss of income. But it’s not the first table of honor the restaurant chain has laid.

Touching Hearts

In fact, the family restaurant chain has made an impression on many of its diners with similar tribute tables.

Kate’s photos, as well as others, have been circulating on social media, and thousands have commended the touching gesture with positive comments.

Wounded Warriors

One Facebook user wrote: “…I’ve even seen Wounded Warrior reserved parking spaces at the restaurant in Altoona, PA.”

“They are by far my favorite restaurant, not just for the great food, but the patriotism and professionalism they constantly show!”

Doing Our Part

It’s easy to take things for granted in life, like being able to enjoy a night out with loved ones while eating a delicious meal. Sometimes we forget just how much dedicated public servants do to protect America’s citizens, and how much they risk each and every day–putting their lives on the line.

Texas Roadhouse’s beautiful tributes remind us to stop and say “thank you”.