It’s a time for certain talks with dad about girls, new social connections and cars – maybe a time for a driver’s permit that leads to more freedom.

One Texas teenager, Justin Rozier, will never have those talks with dad.

His dad, U.S. Army Lt. Jonathan Rozier, was killed on July 19, 2003, while serving in Iraq.

Justin was only 9 months old.

Justin didn’t expect his upcoming 15^th birthday would be anything special; every birthday just has him missing his father, after all.

Then his mother, Jessica Johns, came across an old car registration last July.

She almost threw it away and then she realized…

The car once belonged to Johns’ late husband, Lieutenant Rozier. And that gave Johns an unconventional idea.

What if she somehow found that car for Justin’s 16^th birthday?

Nice idea, but kind of a needle-in-a-haystack possibility…

After suddenly finding herself a widow and single parent in 2003, Johns sold her late husband’s 1999 Toyota Celica convertible back to the dealer.

Selling it back to the dealer meant she wouldn’t have to pay for an extra car “just sitting in my driveway,” as she told television news.

And she hadn’t thought of that car again until she found the old car registration.

But what could she do? Well, Johns took a shot in the dark and posted the registration and her idea on social media.

The car could’ve been anywhere – unused in a garage, rotting in a field, or in a junkyard smashed into pieces.

Her original goal was to find the car and get it ready for Justin’s 16^th birthday, if it was even available.

“It was Jon’s car (1LT Jonathan Rozier, KIA Iraq 7-19-03) and when he died, I wasn’t thinking ahead to when Justin (his son) would be driving 15 years later,” she posted online.

“If you facebookers could work your magic and help me find it, it would be an amazing present for his 16th birthday if it hasn’t become a tin can by now.”

Then social media magic happened:

The daughter of the car’s current owner contacted Johns. The car was in Utah.

The daughter wasn’t sure her father would give up the car but encouraged Johns to present her idea. She gave Johns her father’s phone number.

“It took me 12 hours to get the courage to call him,” Johns recalled.

The man listened to Johns’ request, but said he would have to think about it.

He called back an hour later.

“I think that your son will get more enjoyment out of having his dad’s car than I would,” Johns remembered him saying.

Beautiful.

And before Johns even thought about how to get the car from Utah to Texas, more good Samaritans were at work.

Follow the Flag, a Utah organization promoting patriotism, contacted Johns after seeing her social media post.

Follow the Flag took the lead and started a crowdsource fundraiser to pay for the car, restore it as needed and transport it back to Texas.

All this would be completed before Justin’s 15^th birthday – a year earlier than expected.

“Imagine the feeling of holding the steering wheel of a car your late father once drove,” Follow the Flag co-founder Kyle Fox wrote on the fundraising web page.

“A father you never knew. A father who died in the line of duty serving his country. What a priceless gift.”

Justin was shocked when the car was presented to him in October for his birthday.

“I started getting emotional because I never saw John drive that car home,” Johns said.

The look on Justin’s face was unforgettable, according to Johns, especially when he turned to her for confirmation of the gift.

“I was waiting for him, for it to click – that’s Dad’s car,” she said.

“He starts looking at it, gets in. He looks so much like his dad.“

A car that was once his father’s pride and joy now belongs to Justin. It’s heartbreaking but fitting in so many ways.

It’s a new connection, a talk if you will, from father to son.

Source: Today

The post 9-Month-Old Justin Lost His Father In Iraq. 15 Years Later, A Surprise Arrives At The Door… appeared first on Addicting Stories.

For these poor souls, the nightmare just never ends. And if the condition was caused in part by another nightmare, one can only imagine the difficulties they face every day.

Such is the case for 84-year-old Vietnam veteran Lawrence Silk, who wakes up some days thinking he has to ship out and fight again.

The brave patriot who participated in three different tours in Vietnam has dementia, and his family wishes he could find some relief.

Perhaps that’s why his daughter Julie Dunn and her husband Kenny posted about the man’s condition on social media; they wanted to bring attention to the situation.

“He believes he has to return to the war to complete his tour and is very upset that his memory care home will not let him go,” wrote Kenny. 

“He is currently in hospice care and through his ups and downs, he consistently is haunted by his need to do his duty.”

Well, it seems this worked because Lt. Col. Andy LaFrazia saw the post and decided he’d visit Silk to deliver a very important message.

The couple begged the military official to give the suffering man some sort of award or certificate that would remind him of his service, and put him at ease.

LaFrazia couldn’t pass it up. He had served in the same squadron as Silk back in Vietnam and he volunteered to visit his old comrade at the care home in Vancouver.

The result? Magic.

LaFrazia presented Silk with a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Air Force, a USAF Civil Engineering badge, and challenge coins from the Prime Beef and Red Horse Units.

Julie added:

“He also brought with him a reassuring message that his responsibilities to the USAF and the Vietnam Conflict have been concluded and he never has to worry again about returning.”

Social media has since exploded with an outpouring of support, which Julie and Kenny greatly appreciate. They also appreciate Lt. LaFrazia for everything he has done.

Again, this is an extremely difficult situation and while Silk’s dementia won’t be cured, this could help a great deal. And at the very least, it’s a matter of “comfort and dignity,” as Julie said.

“We feel truly blessed that a community of strangers came together to help us bring that to him when he needed it the most.”

Not only does this story restore one’s faith in humanity, it reminds us of the deeply entrenched honor of our heroes who serve in the military. It’s a truly great thing.

Sources: GoodNewsNetwork, Facebook

The post Vet With Dementia Thinks He’s Going Into Battle. Surprise Visitor Brings Family To Tears appeared first on Addicting Stories.