91-year-old Veteran Was Eating Alone Before A Kind Waiter Stepped In
Touching story behind elderly man eating alone in a restaurant
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Recent images of an elderly veteran eating alone have gone viral across social media because of the touching story behind it.
Lisa Meilander of Elizabeth Township, Pennsylvania, noticed an elderly man-eating alone while she was eating dinner with her family at Eat'n Park restaurant in Belle Vernon.
Mailander saw the waiter take his order, but after he arrived back with his food, the waiter, Dylan asked could sit with the gentleman as he ate.
Here is what Mailander said on her Facebook post:
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The elderly gentleman was seated in the booth directly across from my family as we ate dinner Saturday night at Eat'n Park in Belle Vernon. We really didn't see him come in.
But we did notice when our server, Dylan, dropped to one knee to look him eye-to-eye as he got ready to take his order. The man apologized for not hearing too well. He had forgotten to put in his hearing aids.
He talked about how he lost his hearing during his time in the war.
He was 91 years old, with many stories to tell. Dylan patiently listened, giving him his full attention.
Eventually, the man apologized for talking so much. "I'm alone now," he said, "and I don't often have someone to talk to."
Dylan smiled and said he enjoyed listening.
He then helped him figure out what to order and left to take it to the kitchen. It was a touching sight.
I wanted the offer to pay for the man's dinner, but before I could flag down Dylan, a man seated at a nearby booth asked Dylan to bring him his check. "Someone's already taken care of it," Dylan smiled.
I guess we weren't the only ones eavesdropping on the conversation.
After the man received his food, Dylan came back to say he was on a break.
He asked if he could sit with the gentleman as he ate. As we left the restaurant, the two of them were conversing, and many people seated nearby were smiling. It was a touching sight.
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With all of the negative stories about our youth today, this was a breath of fresh air. I wonder if I would have been as kind and attentive if I were the one working there.
One thing's for sure, if you are ever at Eat'n Park in Belle Vernon, ask for Dylan. If he's your waiter, you're certain to get great service.
Meilander snapped photos of Frank and his server, Dylan Tetil racked up 157,000 likes and 46,000 shares on Facebook.
"I am totally amazed at the response to my photos and story," Meilander told "Good Morning America."
"It was such a sweet interaction -- I wanted to acknowledge Dylan for his compassion."
Tetil told ABC affiliate WTAE in Pittsburgh that Frank was "very emotional."
"He was actually crying when he was talking to me, when he was talking about the war," Tetil told the station Sunday.
"It just really hit a soft spot in my heart, honestly. I almost cried, and I'm not a crier."
Meilander told "GMA" she has not been in touch with Frank, a WWII veteran and avid bowler since her post gained viral attention.
