Keaton Tilson, a vehicle mechanic with the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Hood, waited at the airport for two days on standby hoping to get a flight out to visit his family in St. Louis over the Memorial Day weekend, but after multiple tries, no luck, that is until a complete stranger stepped in.
Josh Rainey observed a uniformed Tilson being denied standby boarding. That’s when he approached the discouraged soldier and offered him his plane ticket. But the story didn’t end there, the pair soon learned airline rules forbid travelers from flying using someone else’s ticket.
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“Got discouraged. Apologized. He thanked me. I walked away, and I called my wife, which I would do in a situation like that to kind of ask for her advice, and we agreed both that it was the right thing to do to go back and buy the ticket,” Rainey said on Monday. “I’m very appreciative, because if it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here right now. Honestly, I feel like I would still be at the airport, because it’s Memorial Day weekend,” Tilson said. h/t
The trip home comes during Memorial Day weekend, a time to honor those who died while serving in the country’s armed services. “I know I’m in uniform, but at the same time, I’m a person just like he is, and for him to do that not even knowing who I am was just… it makes me so appreciative,” Tilson said.
A witness to the incredible gesture said both men were visible “emotional,” but “all smiles,” during the kind-hearted transaction.