Hero for Breakfast!

It's in the day to day routine events of life that extraordinary events can occur.  On a beautiful November morning this week I was enjoying breakfast with my wife, Laura and oldest son, Brian.

The meal was nearly completed when a man walked in, aided by his wife he had an erect posture and a slow deliberate gait. They were seated at the next table, his shirt pocket full of cigars, and he had a winsome smile that he readily shared with me. He was also wearing a cap, nothing surprising about that...men in their 80's and 20's wear caps....but only a handful of men who have ever drawn a breath are qualified to wear the cap he was wearing!  Navy blue, gold letters….with USS Indianapolis across the top.

I immediately thought, isn’t that the ship that brought the components to assemble the atomic bomb that ultimately led to the end of World War Two?  My son, Brian went online with his cell phone to find out.

I was thinking, could it be that the man seated just 4 feet away from me, in a Broomfield, Colorado restaurant was on board the USS Indianapolis when it was struck by Japanese torpedoes on July 30, 1945? Could it be that he was one of the more than 900 men that were thrown into the South Pacific?  Could it be that this man battled searing heat, dehydration, and the loss of so many to the relentless sharks that encircled he and his shipmates those many days?

Could it be that I was looking over the remnants of breakfast at a man who was one of the 317 survivors?

Brian, my son, confirmed that was the ship!

I stood up introduced myself and shook hands with Paul J. Murphy, Chairman of the USS Indianapolis Survivors Organization!  He and his wife were affable and kind, and I asked and received a signed copy of the book, USS Indianapolis, subtitled the Navy’s worst tragedy at sea…880 men died only 317 survived!  The book is a compilation (The only one of its kind ever written) of the stories of those who survived compiled by Mr. Murphy’s wife, Mary!  Little did I know, that when I ordered breakfast that morning, I would also have a Hero included!

What I find interesting about it all, is just a few months before Laura had heard the story of the Indianapolis on Christian radio.  After talking to her, I ordered another book about the tragedy. 

And a scant few months later I met a survivor!  Coincidence?  Hardly, to me it was an incredible heaven sent opportunity to shake hands with history and a man that represents what it means to serve with courage and valor.

In retrospect, that was the best breakfast I ever had!

In honor of Paul and all the men and women who have done so much for so many.... thank you! This song is a reminder of all that we have to be thankful for!