Every so often I deliver meals to homebound senior adults on holidays. Memorial Day was my turn to drive around town delivering meals.

I enjoy delivering meals because the seniors are so grateful to receive them which makes me feel good. Also, I like delivering meals because seniors have interesting stories to tell; the story about Bill is one of those interesting stories.

He died some years ago after retiring from a long career in sales. He and his wife, Louise, raised four children, most of whom have now moved away.

He was in the Army during World War II and Louise was his wartime bride. He’d send letters home to her but she’d receive them with parts cut out as the Army removed certain words for security reasons they said. When the Allied armies invaded France, Bill went ashore at Normandy on D-Day plus one, the day after D-Day.

He was in a riflemen’s corps, but mostly he drove a jeep delivering food and mail to the men on the front lines. He was his outfit’s most popular man because he often brought his buddies a hot meal and mail from back home. Bill never talked much about the War after he returned home. Like so many others who survived the experience, he wanted to put it behind him.

As a Veteran, when Bill died he was eligible to be buried with military honors as is custom for most veterans. It’s a nice tribute for all the men and women who risk their lives to fight for our country’s freedom.

On Memorial Day when I delivered meals, Louise showed me a floral wreath for Bill’s grave. She doesn’t drive anymore and no one was around to take her to the cemetery.

No veteran’s widow should be without transportation to the cemetery on Memorial Day. I decided I would take her there myself if no one else could, even though we really didn’t know each other at all.

When I returned to see her, she told me that her son had called her and said he would take her to the cemetery the next weekend. I liked that. A family should do these things together, I thought. Bill would like that, too.

It’s ironic. She was grateful for getting a home delivered meal, but all I could think about was how Bill delivered meals and mail to the front lines during the War. I’m grateful to Bill and to Louise for helping to preserve our country’s freedom so many years ago.

As I said, I enjoy delivering meals because I hear such interesting stories. It’s such a privilege for me to give them a little something back.

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