They say that what you give to the world will always come back to you, and that is true for the 92-year old man in the following story. Though it came a bit late, what he has been wishing for in such a long time finally happened to him, at a time that he never expected.
World War II veteran Louis Hicks called 911 to report a theft after discovering that a few of his power tools were missing from the shed behind his house. The Austin Police Department showed up not long after, and Louis hoped that they would be able to catch the bad guy.
Officer Chasity Salazar insisted on taking a quick look inside the veteran’s home to investigate. Louis felt hesitant because he knew that the cop would discover something inside his house that would alarm anyone, but he was left with no choice but to do it.
After inspecting his home, the cop left the dangerous scene exactly as it was, so Louis figured that the law enforcement officer would not come back for him anymore. But he had no idea that Officer Chasity had other plans in mind, and that she will return with some backup to provide the veteran with something she knew he needed, even though he didn’t ask.
Officer Salazar feared for the veteran not because of the robbery he reported, but because of the imminent threat that she discovered inside the old man’s home – a gas stove that was left on, not for cooking, but for the man to keep warm.
The officer knew she had a network of contacts that could help provide for the veteran’s needs. She turned to the Austin Police Association, Austin Cops 4 Charities, and St. David’s Foundation, and thankfully, they delivered! She was able to secure a new electric heater for the veteran, free of charge.
Officer Salazar and Officer Bino Cadenas made a follow-up visit to deliver the sweet surprise. Louis was astonished upon receiving his gift and broke down into tears. Full of gratefulness, he said:
“I’ve never had no one to do nothing for me. After my mother passed away and left me to take care of my two sisters … nobody never did anything to help me. You hate to ask anybody ’cause sometimes they’ll frown on you, and I’m a true veteran. I won’t ask. I won’t ask.”
Louis had an old heater in his home, but it burned a hole in his floor so he stopped using it. He couldn’t buy a new one because he didn’t have much money, so he was forced to use the gas stove as a makeshift heater.
Officer Salazar was just honored to be able to pay homage to a man who served the country.
“He’s just offered me a lot of kindness, too, so to know that he’s also served, and now I’m able to serve and give back to people like him.”
But the good part doesn’t end there. After learning of the veteran’s condition, the community rallied around to support him. Louis is very grateful for everyone’s generosity.
“It means everything. The things I’ve been trying to do since the ’40s…I’ve been asking for help. And now, it just came in. God is good.”
More help is on the way, as the Austin Police Department has a running wish list of all the items that Louis needs.
With all that he has done for the country, we are just so happy to see Louis receive his blessing. A man like that deserves nothing less, and we salute Officer Salazar and all those people who extended their help to the good veteran.
Grab some tissues and watch the emotional video below from KVUE.