I never got recognition in my life

March 5, 2014 7:18 AM

Joe Bell is 95 years old, and a World War II veteran. He wears his uniform to the senior center on Veterans Day or to meet with other vets. This past weekend, he put on his uniform to cheer on runners in a race that benefits the foundation for fallen Army Ranger Pat Tillman. His neighbor, Julia Prodis Sulek, a reporter for the Mercury News, captured what happened next.

The 8K race is a charity partner with the Pat Tillman Foundation. Tillman played for four seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals before putting his career on hold after the September 11, 2001 terriorist attacks to join the Army. Tillman was killed in action in April 22, 2004.

posted by roomthreeseventeen (15 comments total)

needs a "peoplearegreat" tag
posted by mightygodking at 7:21 AM on March 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

Runners are great!
posted by rodmandirect at 7:27 AM on March 5, 2014

I'm most impressed by the first guy to go and shake his hand - I know from personal experience how hard it is to break from a crowd to go and do a kindness for a stranger, and also how easy it is to be the second person to do the kindness.

They're all awesome, though.
posted by Mooski at 7:28 AM on March 5, 2014 [12 favorites]

Sitting at my desk wiping my eyes. Thank you so much. Faith in people (temporarily) restored.
posted by kinnakeet at 7:30 AM on March 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

Since this is the internet, I had no idea after clicking the link if the guy was going to get pushed down, start shooting, or turn into a transformer. As it happens, it was beautiful, although a part of me worried that towards the end it would turn out like that famous "guy starts dance party" video and he'd be totally surrounded by runners until he was just a tiny speck in a mob of love and running shorts.
posted by gwint at 7:33 AM on March 5, 2014 [2 favorites]

Suddenly there's a lot of dust here in my eyes..
Great people!
posted by mumimor at 7:40 AM on March 5, 2014

\o/
posted by Sophie1 at 7:49 AM on March 5, 2014

I can only hope that all those folks (and those of us here admiring what they did) then went home and called their congress people and urged them to extend that kind of respect and appreciation by providing adequate benefits for ALL our vets.
posted by HuronBob at 7:51 AM on March 5, 2014 [5 favorites]

"I'm just a tiny speck in a mob of love and running shorts!" ejaculated Tom.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:53 AM on March 5, 2014 [6 favorites]

Yay, I love it!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:57 AM on March 5, 2014

boston.com is referring to the paper as the San Diego Mercury. *grumbles about current state of journalism*
posted by Melismata at 8:06 AM on March 5, 2014

That pur a smile on my face. Back in the 90's I did some of my medical training at the VA; back then there were still a few WWI vets around, but not many. Now it is the WWII vets that are dying out; I'm glad to see people honor them like this.
posted by TedW at 8:06 AM on March 5, 2014 [2 favorites]

o7
posted by nerdler at 8:36 AM on March 5, 2014 [2 favorites]

I like that guy. I wonder what it was like to live in a certain world.
posted by vapidave at 9:01 AM on March 5, 2014

Niagara Falls, Frankie Angel.
posted by achrise at 9:09 AM on March 5, 2014 [1 favorite]