A disabled veteran was found trying to walk 90 miles from Jasper, Alabama, to a doctor’s appointment in Huntsville Wednesday morning.
A Walker County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the Gulf War veteran, who was wearing an oxygen mask, as he made his way to the appointment he was told not to miss. The man reportedly said he had no choice but to walk or hitchhike to his destination.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office posted the story to its Facebook page, where it has so far received more than 100,000 shares and 140,000 reactions.
The post read:
The deputy acted quickly and escorted the Gulf War Veteran to the Cullman County line where a Cullman Sheriff Deputy picked him up. The deputy then transported him to the Morgan County Line where a Morgan County Sheriff Deputy took over and met a Madison County Sheriff Office Deputy in Huntsville who finished the trip and took the man to his appointment. After an overnight stay, we were happy to do it all again today….. in reverse to help get the man back home.
“We are thankful for our veterans and were honored to play a small role in supporting this man who gave a great deal for our country!” the department concluded.
Thursday, the Walker County Sheriff’s Office thanked the officers for their efforts in making sure the veteran made it safely to and from his doctor’s appointment.
“We appreciate Sergeant Kevin Emberg and Chris Douer, and the opportunity to be a small part of agencies working together!” the department wrote.
In an update Thursday morning, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office wrote that “over 5 million people have seen this post and many have offered to help this Veteran. We are in contact with him today to see how he wants to handle the outpouring of help! We should be able to update everyone later today!”