We should all be following the lead of the celebrity I am about to tell you about in this story. We need to look for opportunities to give back to the men and women who keep us free and safe in our country.
Kyle Upham and his then fiancé Kristen were shopping around in Santa Barbara, California. Kyle had just come back from a tour in Iraq and they were in the market for a beautiful engagement ring. However, as anyone who has shopped for such jewelry knows, the truth is a painful fact.
The rarer and more spectacular the ring is, the higher the price tag goes. It often ends up going for thousands upon thousands of dollars.
Maybe then it was for giggles or imagination when they tried on one $9,000 ring, briefly discussing the possibility of buying it before dismissing that action as impossible due to the price.
While they were there at the store, they struck up a conversation with a beautiful, kindly stranger. Kyle and the stranger exchanged names and talked about what each other did. That’s when the couple realized who Walker was.
It must have really struck up a mix of emotions in Walker because he strolled up to the counter when the couple was on their way out of the store and told the manager to put the ring “on his tab”. Additionally, he requested that they not give up his identity.
A clerk called the pair and asked them to return to the store. They arrived, confused, and she said, “Here’s your ring!” They didn’t know how to respond so they just stood there for several seconds with their mouths hanging wide open. This just had to be some sort of a mistake.
It was not a mistake, it was a purposeful gesture of good will to a well deserving veteran and his wife.
They asked who had bought it, but the clerk just smiled and said it was better not to say. Still, they suspected it was Walker, but decided not to dwell on it.
Ten years later, upon the actor’s death, the store clerk decided she wanted the world to know what he had done for the couple. The Upham’s suspicions were confirmed when they saw the story on a news outlet.
Photo courtesy of E! Online
His kind and generous character came forward that day in an act that might be seemingly small despite the price, but in reality was a representation of the treatment that all veterans should receive.
“His real life speaks volumes of his character. He really did put his money where his mouth is and did good for the world,” Kristen said.
Kyle added, “When we hand down the ring through the generations, there will always be a story to tell.”
Thank you to those that help our veterans even in the smallest ways. Show your appreciation for a vet today and LIKE Great Heros for more!
Article via: WATCHTHIS.COM
and NYDAILYNEWS.COM
