A reader writes:
A couple of weeks ago there was a discussion of the pros and cons of showing appreciation to servicemen and women in uniform. If I may contribute the following anecdote: A couple of nights ago, as my flight from Philadelphia to Seattle was waiting to take off, there was a uniformed serviceman (Airborne, I think) sitting in the row behind me in Coach. Just before take-off, a flight attendant came to tell the serviceman that a passenger in First Class wanted to switch seats with him. The serviceman seemed genuinely overwhelmed and grateful. "Wow", he repeated, "wow. It's been a hard couple of weeks. I really needed this. Wow."
My own view is that talk is cheap, and that tangible acts of kindness trump them every time. And I am willing to bet that spending five hours of that flight in First Class instead of Coach soothed more sores for that serviceman than any beer could have, much less any mere words from a stranger.
The Dish 