Myles Eckert - a boy remembering his father lost to War

On February 7, 2014, Myles Eckert, age 8, and his family were entering a restaurant in Ohio when Myles found a 20 dollar bill in the parking lot.

Myles was excited and thought about spending the money on a video game. But then he spotted Lt. Col. Frank Dailey, who was eating lunch at the restaurant.

Myles stated: "....he was a soldier and soldiers remind me of my dad."

So, Myles wrapped up the $20 bill in a handwritten note and gave it to Lt. Col. Frank Dailey. The note read:

"Dear Soldier - my dad was a soldier. He's in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It's your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid."

Lt. Col. Frank Dailey, stationed at the Ohio Air National Guard base near Toledo, was overwhelmed by the kind actions of this boy and the honor bestowed upon him. 

Myles Eckert (L); Sgt. Andy Eckert (M); Lt. Col. Frank Dailey (R)

The boy's father, Sgt. Andy Eckert, had served in Iraq in 2003/2004 and while travelling in a convoy to Kuwait, was wounded when a roadside bomb exploded. Shrapnel struck his jaw, arm and neck. Andy received a Purple Heart. Andy's wife, Tiffany, had given birth in 2003 to their daughter, Marlee.

In March of 2005, Myles was born. Days later, Sgt. Eckert returned to war. On May 8, 2005, he was killed in Tikrit, Iraq.

Myles never knew his father personally but he knows his father through the stories

Pray for the
children who have
lost their fathers

and descriptions of him made by loved ones.

Pray for Myles and Marlee and for all children who have lost their fathers due to war.

Pray without ceasing unto God for an end to these conflicts.

Sixty thousand years of evolution from the cave man era and we are still beating each other to death with clubs. Today, it is Syria and Ukraine and Venezuela. And tomorrow it will be a hundred other places.

God help us. Amen.