Small gesture brings big joy to Iraq soldier

A number of professional athletes have been showing up on the police blotters due to wife-beatings, bar brawls, drug usage and what-have-you. Not a pretty thing but no different than the commonplace things that hit the headlines each day with the general population.
But every so often there are good things that happen. One of those recently made for a great story, one with warmth, understanding and the will to turn a chance meeting into something solid. It has to be a story of love, adoration and one of those stories dotted with "I wish I could have done more."
Our good guy just happened to be former Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris.
The story went something like this:
"Let me tell you about one soldier's return flight to Iraq.
"He saw a man enter a restroom at the Pittsburgh airport and thought he recognized him. When the man came out, the young soldier went over to him and asked, 'Excuse me sir, but are you Franco Harris?'
"The man, who was the Steelers' 13th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft in 1972, replied, 'Yes I am.'
"The young soldier was in awe and asked Harris if he could have a picture taken with him. Harris obliged and then the two chatted for a time. The young man told Franco that he was on his way back to Iraq. The former Steeler offered encouragement and wished him a safe return.
"The two shook hands and went their separate ways."
Just the beginning
This could have been the ending to a great story. However, as things turned out, it was just the beginning.
After the soldier's name was announced over the loud speaker, he was asked to come to the desk. Once there, the lady behind the counter informed him that there was an empty seat in first class and she was going to bump him to that seat, if it was OK with him.
He said he didn't care where he sat, as long as he made it to Atlanta to catch the army plane. The lady then informed him that he was going first class to Atlanta. He went back to tell his loved ones as he waited to board the plane.
Once seated, he was waving goodbye to his family when he noticed somebody setting next to him. He turned to see who it was and there sat a smiling Franco. The two talked about the Steelers throughout the flight to Atlanta. Franco gave the young man his address and passed along his signed ticket stub, validation of their trip together. The trip was now much easier for the soldier. It was now not a trip of sadness, but one the GI will never forget and talk about forever. You can bet he had some real interesting stories to tell when he joined his comrades in Iraq.
The letter concluded with this quote: "Franco Harris is the Man of All Men. I wish I could thank him for making a soldier's lonely flight back to war one of his ultimate lifetime experiences, one that he will talk about forever. Thank you, Mr. Franco Harris."
The letter was signed "A soldier's aunt."
Harris, who played at Penn State, competed in the NFL from 1972-1984. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. His best season came in 1975 when he rushed for 1.246 yards, scoring 10 touchdowns in 14 games. His career totals were 12,120 rushing yards and 91 TDs.