>>>
>>> GLORIA AND GEORGE HAD NOT SEEN THEIR SON THREE YEARS.
IMAGINE THEIR SURPRISE WHEN HE
POPPED IN FOR LUNCH.
WE
WE ARE
WE ARE ALL CRYING ON THE SOFA. SERGEANT MICHAEL IS HERE WITH
HIS PARENTS, GLORIA AND GEORGE.
>> YOU ARE IN TEARS.
>> I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
IT GETS ME EVERY TIME.
>> THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I
HAVE SEEN IT.
>> YOU WERE AT CHICK-FIL-A
UNDER THE GUISE OF SOMETHING
ELSE, RIGHT?
ELSE, RIGHT? >> THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE
GOING TO HAVE FAMILIES OVER AND
SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT YOUR
CHILDREN BEING IN THE SERVICE
AND COME AND SIT WITH US.
HERE I COME.
I SHOW UP.
THEY TOLD US WE WERE THE FIRST
FAMILY THERE.
FAMILY THERE. THEY HAD ME FROM GO.
I JUST SAT DOWN AND ENJOYED
THEIR AMAZING PEACH TEA.
I HEAR MADRE.
I SAID OH MY GOD, THAT'S MY
CHILD.
CHILD.
CHILD. >>
CHILD. >> I GREW UP IN A MILITARY
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. MY DAD WAS OFTEN TIMES GONE.
THEY WERE LIKE WHERE IS THAT
MAN THAT USED TO LIVE HERE?
I'M GOING TO BACK UP AND ASK
YOU WHEN DID YOU SHARE WITH
YOUR PARENTS THAT YOU WANTED TO
GO INTO THE MILITARY?
WHY DID YOU WANT TO GO INTO THE
MILITARY?
MILITARY?
MILITARY? >> THEY PROBABLY KNEW IT SINCE
I WAS A KID.
JUST GROWING UP I WAS WATCHING
TV PLAYING WITH ALL THE LITTLE
G.J.
G.J.
G.J. JOES
G.J. JOES AND TOYS.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE COOL TO
BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
>> YOU WERE LIKE A LITTLE
SOLDIER.
SOLDIER.
SOLDIER. HE BUILT HIS OWN FORTS.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> ISN'T THERE A STORY OF HIM
IN THE BACKYARD IN THE DIRT?
>> THERE WAS A PILE OF DIRT AT
HIS GRANDMA'S HOUSE.
MICHAEL WOULD SHOW UP WITH HIS
BACKPACK.
BACKPACK.
BACKPACK. HE WOULD SIT THERE WITH HIS
SOLDIERS AND SET THEM UP.
THAT WAS HIS FORT.
YOU COULD NOT TAKE HIM AWAY.
HE ALWAYS WENT STRAIGHT TO THE
DIRT.
DIRT.
DIRT. >>
DIRT. >> GEORGE, HOW DID YOU FIND OUT
HE WAS GOING TO JOIN THE
MILITARY?
MILITARY?
MILITARY? IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS A LOT
OF KIDS, ESPECIALLY AT THE AGE
HE JOINED, WILL HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION WITH HIS PARENTS.
WHAT DID THE CONVERSATION GO
LIKE?
LIKE?
LIKE? >>
LIKE? >> REALLY, WE DIDN'T HAVE A
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. HE BASICALLY SHOWED UP AFTER HE
ENLISTED AND TOLD US I NEED
Y'ALL TO SIGN THIS PAPER.
I ENLISTED IN THE ARMY.
THAT WAS IT.
>> HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
IT IS AN HONORABLE THING TO DO.
WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE WORLD
WILL DO.
WILL DO.
WILL DO. SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE NERVE
RACKING.
RACKING.
RACKING. >> IT WAS AWFUL.
>> YOU JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS
THE RIGHT THING FOR YOU TO DO.
>> I WAS EXCITED.
I WAS READY TO DO SOMETHING
ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. I
ELSE. I MISS HOUSTON, I MISS IT A
LOT.
LOT.
LOT. I
LOT. I WANTED TO GET AWAY AND BE ON
MY OWN.
MY OWN.
MY OWN. I
MY OWN. I HAD TO GROW UP REALLY, REALLY
FAST.
FAST.
FAST. >>
FAST. >> IT GIVES YOU STRUCTURE.
IT GIVES YOU RESPONSIBILITY.
>> I HAD TO GROW UP REALLY
QUICK ON MY OWN.
I WAS IN WASHINGTON.
THAT IS NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENT
FROM TEXAS.
FROM TEXAS. I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A
DIFFERENT COUNTRY.
DIFFERENT COUNTRY. I WAS TOLD IN A FEW MONTHS YOU
ARE GOING TO AFGHANISTAN.
I COULD NOT ENJOY ANYTHING.
I WAS BUSY GETTING READY TO GO.
I GREW UP REALLY
>>
>> WE
>> WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR MILITARY.
MILITARY.
MILITARY. WE PAY HONOR TO THEM.
WHAT WILL YOU SAY TO OTHER
FAMILIES WHERE A CHILD WILL SAY
I WANT TO JOIN THE MILITARY?
DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR THOSE
FAMILIES?
FAMILIES?
FAMILIES? >> OH MY GOSH, THE BEST ADVICE
IS LET THEM PURSUE IT.
BE THEIR BACKBONE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR
SOMEONE THINKING I MIGHT WANT
TO JOIN THE MILITARY?
>> JUST DO IT.
IT HAS BEEN HARD.
THERE IS A LOT OF TIMES WHERE
YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU
ARE DOING.
ARE DOING. IT IS GOING TO SUCK AT TIMES.
BELIEVE ME.
BELIEVE ME. OH MY GOD!
>> YOU MENTIONED WHEN YOU GOT
HOME YOU WERE GOING TO WEAR
YOUR DRESS UNIFORM TODAY.
YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO WEAR THAT
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. TELL US WHY YOU WERE NOT ABLE
TO WEAR THAT.
>> WHEN I GOT HERE I PACKED IT.
I MADE SURE IT STILL FIT.
I HAVE BEEN EATING ABOUT EVERY
SINGLE DAY SINCE I HAVE BEEN
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. I
HERE. I THINK I MISSED ONE ASTROS
GAME AND THAT WAS YESTERDAY
BECAUSE I SLEPT IN FOR ONCE.
I PUT IT ON FOR A BIG, GROUP
FAMILY PHOTO AND IT DIDN'T FIT.
>> WHEN YOU GO BACK I'M SURE
YOU'LL LOSE THE WEIGHT.
>> SPEAKING OF EATING -- THIS
MORNING WE HAVE BEEN EATING
CHICK-FIL-A BISCUITS.
CHICK-FIL-A BISCUITS. RAFAEL IS HERE.
HE IS THE OWNER AND OPERATOR
WITH CHICK-FIL-A. HE IS HERE
WITH THE MILITARY COWS.
>> I BROUGHT MY ENTOURAGE.
>> THERE ARE PLACES THAT WE CAN
GO TO EAT AND THERE ARE PLACES
THAT ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY
WHERE WE GO TO EAT.
CHICK-FIL-A HAS MADE A BIG
EFFORT TO SAY WE ARE NOT JUST A
BUSINESS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
THIS WAS PART OF NOT BEING JUST
A BUSINESS.
A BUSINESS. >> SURE.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. WE ARE NOT JUST IN THE CHICKEN
BUSINESS, WE ARE IN THE PEOPLE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. GLORIA HAS BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR
A LONG TIME.
WHEN WE HEARD ABOUT THIS WE
JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO BE PART
OF THIS SWEET MEMORY FOR THEM
IN THEIR LIVES.
>> WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME
AN OWNER/OPERATOR?
AN OWNER/OPERATOR? >> I LOOKED AT IT AS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN IMPACT ON
PEOPLE'S LIVES.
PEOPLE'S LIVES. I HAD PLENTY OF BOSSES IN MY
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. SOME WERE GREAT.
SOME WERE NOT GREAT.
I WANTED TO BE A INFLUENCE IN
SOMEBODY'S LIFE THAT GAVE THEM
OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW BEYOND
WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE
COMING IN TO GET THE JOB FOR.
>> WHEN I COME IN FOR A 12
PIECE NUGGET CAN YOU SLIDE IN
AN EXTRA ONE?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> THANK YOU.
WE WANT TO THANK CHICK-FIL-A
FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO OUR
HEROES.
HEROES.
HEROES. >>> UP NEXT, LOOK YEARS YOUNGER
IN MINUTES.
IN MINUTES. THE