Anonymous Vet Leaves Gift for the Girlfriend of Deployed Soldier (PHOTO)

In an era when most Americans are struggling, random acts of generosity seem especially few and far between. But for one young family, a routine trip to Dunkin’ Donuts proved that even total strangers can be compassionate enough to extend a hand.

Samantha Ford, a young mom whose boyfriend is serving overseas, was at a donut shop outside of Boston this week when she returned to her car to find what she thought was a parking ticket folded underneath her windshield wiper. Upon closer inspection, Ford realized it was a handwritten note with two $20 bills folded inside. The note read:

“I noticed the sticker on the back of your car. Take your hero out to dinner when he comes home. Thank you both for serving. Him deployed and you for waiting. –United States veteran. God bless.”

Ford’s bumper sticker reads, “1/2 my heart is in Afghanistan.”

Touched by the stranger’s act of generosity, the mother of two posted about it on Deployment 101, a Facebook page dedicated to supporting the loved ones of military personnel serving overseas.

 

 

Since the post went live this week, almost two million people have “Liked” it, and about a quarter of a million have shared it.

Ford told NBC that she posted it publicly as a way to thank whoever left it. “It’s amazing to know that there are still people in this world as beautiful as this individual,” she said.

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A Bay Area native, Andri Antoniades previously worked as a fashion industry journalist and medical writer.  In addition to reporting the weekend news on TakePart, she volunteers as a webeditor for locally-based nonprofits and works as a freelance feature writer for TimeOutLA.com. Email Andri | @andritweets | TakePart.com