Rich U.S. Businessman Drops Thousands Of Dollars On Food After Seeing U.S. Soldiers Eating Sack Dinners At Airport
10 years ago

Major props to Shlomo Rechnitz, a wealthy California businessman with both a heart and wallet made of gold.

Rechnitz was hanging out on a layover in Ireland with his family when he saw something he felt needed fixing: 400 U.S. soldiers eating dinner out of paper sacks. Rechnitz felt compelled to do something about it, so he asked a commanding officer if he could buy each soldier dinner.

From AOL:

When Shlomo Rechnitz saw 400 U.S. soldiers eating dinner out of paper sacks during a layover in Shannon, Ireland, he decided they deserved better.

Rechnitz, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who was on his way to visit Israel with his family, wanted to provide the servicemen access to the same kind of options an average traveler has at an airport. He then approached the commander and insisted that he treat each soldier to a meal at an airport restaurant of their choosing, allotting each a generous $50 budget.

Here is a video of Rechnitz addressing the troops:

When asked why he was so generous to the soldiers, Rechnitz replied, “…you guys risk your lives to protect me and protect my family … I’m on my way to Israel now and you guys protect them too.”

But I thought all rich people were evil?? This doesn’t fit the narrative!

This here is a major life goal of mine. I’d like to make it so rich one day that I would be able to drop like $20,000 on dinner for the soldiers who serve and protect me and my family. It would be an honor to swipe that AMEX Black Card to feed hundreds of soldiers who deserve better food than what they can fit in a paper sack. This isn’t fifth grade lunch, these are our soldiers, and Rechnitz recognized a problem and offered up a generous solution.

It’s a shame all rich people are vilified by the media when many of them are more charitable dollar-for-dollar than the average American. Good on you, Shlomo (which is also a badass name to have, by the way). You are a great American.

[via AOL]

Image via YouTube

  2. cleavage

    I’m a little surprised that a battalion is flying commercial together. I feel like it would be much cheaper and easier to use a couple Air Force transport planes for such a large amount of soldiers.

    10 years ago at 5:36 pm
      1. cleavage

        Yeah but even for groups that large? And even if it was chartered usually that means they would go though a separate private terminal.

        10 years ago at 6:10 pm
      2. TossMeABronson

        Yea, we flew chartered 777’s and 747’s several times. You can fly more troops on one of those than you can in 8 C-131/141 Air Force aircraft.

        10 years ago at 11:38 am
  3. dubyas

    He is an outspoken campaign supporter of Bernie Sanders and Loretta Sanchez. Also the $2,000 he dropped on those soldiers is a pittance relative to his net worth. Fuck this publicity stunt and fuck this guy.

    10 years ago at 5:37 pm
    2. Mward2002

      Political party doesn’t matter when you do something as a thank you to the brave men and women who protect us nationally and internationally. It’s just a classy move that I’m sure those soldiers appreciated.

      10 years ago at 6:44 pm