They spent a large portion of their lives protecting their country, and they would do it all over again if given the choice. They expected to be treated with dignity and respect but instead, they received the complete opposite.
The restaurant believed that they were protecting their values and fighting for their customers. Never in a million years could they have predicted what would happen next.
Not A Very Warm Welcome
A group of veterans and soldiers made reservations at a seafood restaurant for a special occasion in Delaware. They believed that they would be welcomed with open arms.
Some of the men arrived earlier than expected and it was clear that they were exhausted. They have grown to accept the awkward stares and invasive questions from people. However, there was something about the people in that restaurant. They were looking at them with contempt.
Humiliation
Six very well-respected members of the air force's infamous 436th Airlift Wing were part of the early arrivals. Everyone gathered to commemorate Captain John Mason's, retirement. It was a joyous occasion.
Everybody in the air force knew that even though Captain John appeared to be a hard man, he was truly kind and sensitive. He was an honored man among the soldiers, and he served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He could have never predicted the hostile treatment he would receive in his hometown.
They Were Not Welcomed
Captain John Mason was accompanied by his wife Anna. Anna had supported her husband throughout all of his years of service and she was excited to celebrate all of his hard work.
Among the Captain, his wife and the soldiers was another honored guest. It was clear right away that this visitor was not wanted at the restaurant.
A Good Boy
The special guest in attendance was named Rover, after the Dover Air Base where Captain Mason served until the very end. Covered with black spots, Rover was Mason's service dog.
People oftentimes mistaked Rover for a Dalmatian, but he was a Great Dane. When one first encounter Rover, it can be quite an intimidating eexperience. Great Dane's are large dogs, but Rover was a well-trained service dog which meant he was well behaved and calm. The same qualities were not present in the diners at the restaurant that day.
Outrageous Claims
The group of soldiers were blissfully unaware of the fact that they were in a pretentious restaurant. "Lord Of The Sea" was known for catering only to the rich and snobby by the locals. However, the restaurant boasted that one of their best attributes are that they are "inclusive."
However, their claims were challenged that evening, and they did not pass the test.
The Beginning
Sergeant Blake Johnson was approached by numerous interviewers and they all asked about his experience with the restaurant. “The moment we arrived, we felt completely unwelcome," he shared.
" Mason is a hero," Johnson remarked. " On a daily basis, he faced numerous dangers and was severely injured by an IED detonation. They simply stared at our uniforms and treated Rover and us as if we were scum. I believe they deserved what happened to them."
Complaining About Them
As soon as they sat down, the soldiers could feel the other diners eyes on them while whispering to each other. They as very subtle for much longer because within a few moments a table waved the manager over to openly complain about the group.
The group expected the management to be smart and sensible, but they could not have been more wrong.
Calling The Manager
As soon as the manager, Stacy Hill, was finished listening to the other table's complaints, she made her way to the retirement party's table. She was an intimading woman who asked a lot of questions about Rover.
She masked her own dissatisfaction as the guest's, and stated that their large dog was upsetting the other diners, so he should be taken outside. Stacy spoke to them with so much disrespect, the soldiers had no choice but to stand up for themselves.
She Made Them A Spectacle
The soldiers attempted to inform Stacy that it was their right to have Rover there with them but it was clear that she was ready for a fight. Her voice grew louder which invited the rest of the diners to look over to their table. The soldiers could not help but feel embarrassed by the entire ordeal.
The restaurants claims of inclusivity were cleary false, and the soldiers were stunned. However, what the manager did next made everyone's jaw drop.
She Never Gave Them A Chance
Not allowing the veterans to state their case, Stacy became more incensed by the second. Soon she was yelling about how the restaurant was a “safe space” and they were not welcome there if they could not “follow the rules”.
She ranted so much, the veterans were never given an opportunity to reveal the true reason for Rover’s presence.
They Were Forced To Leave
The veterans were unceremoniously kicked out of the restaurant. Choosing to walk out peacefully, everyone’s eyes were on them as they left.
Stacy’s intolerant behavior never allowed them the chance to explain that Rover was with Captain Mason for a special reason. He suffered from PTSD and, ironically, needed Rover by his side at all times—for him to feel safe.
They Instantly Regretted It
One of the veterans later posted about the experience on social media. The response was overwhelmingly in their favor. Across the nation, they were inundated with sentiments of outrage and support.
Facing an immense public backlash, the restaurant attempted to backtrack—resorting to underhanded tactics when this did not work. The people were not fooled.
A Growing Problem
The restaurant was unaware that this kind of uncouth treatment of veterans, and their animals, had become a huge problem nationwide. Other restaurants had amended their policies to help.
Lord Of The Sea just doubled down and provided their own version of events—alleging the veterans had been aggressive and threatening. This lie was exposed when a special witness showed up.
They Had The Last Laugh
Colonel Robert Seymour, a veteran himself, happened to attend a family dinner that day. Having made sound recordings of the incident, these proved that the veterans had never been aggressive or combative.
With The Americans With Disabilities Act firmly behind them, the restaurant was successfully sued and faced a public boycott—a simple reminder of an old truth—Americans support their troops. Thankfully, other restaurants show veterans a lot more respect…
Every Day
For two-and-a-half-years the man remained a regular at Arby's. He would be there every single day of his life. She noticed him back when she was still the manager there. She always wondered why he would show up alone.
She wanted to understand why he would come to eat at the same restaurant every single day. What he would reveal would have every single person grabbing for their checkbooks.
Doug Parker
Without fail, Doug Parker would always arrive for lunch. The 97-year-old veteran comes into the Arby's for the exact same meal at the same seat he always sits in.
Christina liked to get to know her regulars. But she was also so curious as to why Doug did what he did every day.
Welcome Customer
There are lots of people that don't exactly like the food that Arby's has to offer. But Doug, on the other hand, would order the same meal every day and wolf it down.
The staff affectionately called him Mr. Doug and Christina, the manager at Arby's, said: "He comes in with a walker, as soon as we see him come to the doors, we try [to] grab the doors for him."
By Himself
It was lunchtime and Doug came in like he always did, but today Christina had to know why he was always by himself and why he came to this restaurant every day.
But Doug wouldn't tell her this time around, it would take more than that to get him to open up about his private life. They still wanted the answer.
Dying From Curiosity
Rumors were going around amongst the staff at Arby's as to why Doug ordered the same food from them. Everyone needed to know why he did it.
"He's gone through a lot being a veteran and living in a retirement home. And he doesn't have family," Christina said. But why does he order the same food every day?"
Every Day
Who might be curious as to what Doug orders every day? It's a beef slider with swiss cheese and a Coca-Cola, hold the ice.
Christina finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Hey, Mr. Doug, we just want to know what keeps you coming back to this Arby's location?"
Health Complications
He looked at her and simply said, "This is the only place I can get a sandwich that doesn't hurt my stomach."
Christina had no idea that Doug had been suffering from health issues and came to their establishment because it was the only place he could eat without being in agony.
Part Of The Family
At the Chandler Arby's they consider their regulars family, especially Doug. When they heard about Doug's story, it didn't stay in the Arby's.
Another staff member at Arby's, Travis Coye said, "He’s expressed to us multiple times that we’re like his family, and we feel that ourselves so we try to make him feel welcome in any way possible.”
Treading Lightly
Christina was very attentive when it came to her customers, whenever a new employee was hired she made sure to brief them on Doug's special dietary needs.
But unbeknownst to Christina, one order one day was going to be different from the norm. Something was going to slip through.
Only Place He Could Eat
Doug was happy to eat at Arby's because of his sensitive stomach. If he couldn't eat there, he'd likely eat a sandwich somewhere else and risk getting stomach pains.
All the employees at Arby's knew they had to make sure that Doug could eat his sandwich just how it was every day. He was a war hero after all, and when he needed his sandwich they made sure he got one. But one day something made it onto Doug's sandwich that shouldn't have.
Something Slipped Through
Ethel Fishman, a regular who knew Mr. Doug, had a hunch about one of the young waiters working at Arby's.
But, one afternoon, what she saw him slipping into Mr. Doug's usual order left her completely dumbstruck. The waiter looked around furtively – but he had no idea that Ethel was watching everything.
A Secret
Ethel could only guess what the waiter had done by watching his face, which was turned down intently as she prepared Mr. Doug's usual sandwich. Then, his eyes darted around quickly -- as if to see if anyone was watching.
Ethel wasn't one to let something like this go, so she quietly pulled out her phone. She could never have known that one moment caught on camera would have such far-reaching repercussions for everyone involved…
Evidence
Ethel, making sure that her cameraphone’s flash was off, snapped the evidence she needed – the photos that would make both the server and Arby's Facebook-famous.
Although her view was partially obscured, she saw the waiter hurriedly slip something red into the Arby's paper bag. But she didn't have to wait long to find out what it was. Soon, everyone would know what the server had done.
Checking His Order
The elderly man sat still as he waited for his meal -- he too had his eyes on the waiter in anticipation. His breathing quickened slightly as he pushed the bag towards him.
Although Ethel couldn’t see his face, she saw the waiter crack a smile as Mr. Doug checked his order.
Something Extra
Mr. Doug began to eat his roast beef sandwich while the waiter hovered around the table. Mr. Doug seemed confused, but he hadn't realized that reporters had crowded into the establishment.
He looked inside the bag his order had come in to check that the waiter hadn't missed anything and noticed the piece of red card rattling around in the bottom.
A Joke?
Mr. Doug, just realizing that there were reporters recording his reaction, pulled out the card. He thought it was some kind of joke at first. Then, he slowly realized what the staff at Arby's had done.
The staff had decided to pool their spare cash and slipped a $200 Arby’s gift card into Mr. Doug's order so he could save the little money he had.
Supporting Veterans
However, Arby's is known for supporting veterans and even offers free roast beef sandwiches to America's heroes on Veterans Day.
“Feeding them on Veterans Day is just a small token of our appreciation, but we wanted them to know we’re thinking of them and supporting their mission.”