I Almost Thanked A Hero

Yesterday Maverick and I drove to San Diego to the Naval Hospital to check up with some of his specialists there that we saw last year. We had a long drive and were both hungry by the time we got there. We arrived a little early so I found a coffee shop outside and bought a piece of pumpkin chocolate chip bread and parked the stroller in a little courtyard between some buildings. While Mav snacked and drank his milk and I ate my bread, I noticed a Marine sitting about 20 feet in front of me with his side to me. He was wearing the same PT windbreaker that my husband has. I see Marines all day every day so what was different about this one? Well, he was in a wheelchair. He had a cast on his left arm. He didn't have his legs anymore. As I sat there watching him eat his Subway sandwich with one hand while trying to hold down the paper wrapping with his casted arm that the wind was trying to blow away with the other hand, I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes. I couldn't help but imagine what happened to this young man who was no older than 25. I wanted to know his story and what he had been through. I wanted to know, did his vehicle run over that IED? Did he lose his friends? I wondered what he was thinking as he looked around that courtyard watching people sip their coffee, stroll their strollers and get money out of the ATM. Did he feel relieved to be back in a safe environment where there was no danger to him anymore? Or did he feel like screaming at every one of us for leading our normal little every day lives and walking on both of our legs never having experienced and never even being able to imagine what he's been through? To me at least, he looked like a guy who wasn't going to give up. Like he's going to go on with his life doing what he needs to do. "Adapt and overcome", as the Marines say. I hope that he is able to go on and have a happy life. I sat there wanting so badly to go over and say something to him, but I was already choked up just looking at him and thinking about him, that I was afraid I would embarrass us both by bursting into tears if I were to tell him "thank you". I looked at my phone and it was time to go into Mav's appointment. As I stood up, I saw a lady walk past the Marine while staring at him the whole time. I thought it was rude at first but then realized I had been doing the same thing only sitting down. As I started strolling Mav away from our park bench, I watched the lady turn around, go back to him, lean down and say, "I just wanted to tell you thank you so much for what you did for us." I didn't hear the rest of what she said because the tears were starting to pour and I had to quickly walk away. But I did hear him say, "thank you".  She did what I didn't have the guts to do and I'm very thankful for her. I'm still crying as I recall all of this but if I could go back, I would have told him thank you, tears and all. I'm sure he probably wouldn't have been embarrassed and I feel bad now for not doing it. So to you Marine, I don't know your name and I don't know your rank but I know that you are brave and you are a survivor and you are a HERO. And I am so thankful for what you did for me, my family and my country. I will never forget you and I pray that you have a beautiful rest of your life and that people will always be thankful for you and your sacrafice. Semper Fi.