Soldier gets to see family for Memorial Day weekend thanks to stranger’s kindness

A soldier from Illinois was able to spend the Memorial Day weekend with his family in Missouri all thanks to the kindness of a stranger he met at a Dallas airport.

U.S. Army mechanic Keaton Tilson, who is stationed at Fort Hood, was stuck at an airport for two days, trying to get a flight on standby, KTVI reported. But Josh Rainey from Glendale, Missouri, wasn't having any of it.

At first Rainey tried to give Tilson his ticket, but airline regulations wouldn’t allow the transfer, so Rainey decided on the next option, buying a last-minute ticket for Tilson to St. Louis so he can be with family over the holiday weekend.

Rainey told KTVI that the he spent $341 on the ticket and that the fact that Tilson was able to get home was worth more than the money.

“He walked away and came back and asked if he could hug me, and I think we both had to fight back the tears after that,” Rainey said.

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