This Woman's Selfless Act for a Vietnam Veteran Restores His Faith in Young People

One young woman was out last week playing the new hit game "Pokémon Go" when she came across a Vietnam veteran who reminded her what it means to be human.

In a Facebook post about the encounter, Kimberly Schintzius recalled being approached by a "frail looking older man on a worn out bicycle." The man — unsure where Schintzius was going or what she was staring at on her smartphone — asked her if she needed help getting somewhere.

At that, the young woman explained the new game to the aged veteran, even showing him one of the mythical creatures — a wild "Pidgey" — she had just captured.

"He smiled and laughed and chatted with me about how he was wondering what all these young people walking around with their phones, doing funny things, were doing," Schintzius wrote.

She continued talking with the veteran, who introduced himself as Daniel Wise. Schintzius said Wise "thanked me for being so kind and walking and talking with him instead of pretending he doesn't exist," like so many before her had done.

Schintzius said Wise told her he didn't want to give the impression that he was begging, or in search of alcohol or cigarettes. In reality, Wise just wanted something to eat.

"Since I was just going to get myself some pasta salad," Schintzius wrote, "I went ahead and ordered a whole meal that came with pasta salad as a side and I just kept the side for myself and handed him the rest of food I had ordered for him."

Schintzius' selfless action caused Wise to break down in tears, but his emotional reaction was about much more than the food she offered him.

"From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for the kindness you showed me today and letting me see that there are still young people like you out there who do selfless things like this in a world that often turns its back on old men like me and pretends we don't exist," Wise told her.

He Vietnam veteran also asked Schintzius if he could give her a hug.

As of Thursday night, Schintzius' Facebook post had more than 2,000 likes, over 800 shares and more than 200 comments.

"Thank you for being such an amazing person to a total stranger with all the scary things happening in the world lately," one Facebook commenter wrote on Schintzius' post. "People need a reminder that the slightest act of kindness can change someone's entire world."

One fellow veteran who read about her kind gesture wrote, "I thank you for showing a little kindness to a fellow veteran in need. God bless you!"

After the moving encounter, Schintzius told WABC-TV she is "going to try my best to get [Wise] in touch with the veterans assistance programs of Atlanta that have contacted me recently with information on how to help him."

—

Follow the author of this story on Twitter:

Follow @tregp