A bottle of beer bought for a fallen soldier by his grieving sister will remain on the bar of a US restaurant as a tribute to the armed forces.
The Corona was ordered by an unnamed woman at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and bar in Tacoma, Washington State.
The woman – also a member of the armed forces – walked in, sat down at the bar an ordered some food and two beers.
The bartender, Brian Avey, initially refused to serve her, as state law prohibits people from buying more than one drink at a time, but relented when she said it was for her brother who had recently died in combat in Iraq, saying the extra drink was on the house.
When her drinks were served, the woman put the beer bottle in front of the empty seat next to her while she ate her lunch.
She left it there when she departed, alongside a sweet note thanking the Avey for his kindness.
“Thank you. An act of kindness goes a long way. It means a lot to me. Have a great rest of your day – A Grateful Soldier,” it read.
Avey snapped a picture of the beer and note and posted it on his Facebook page. It has since been shared more than 70,000 times and the incredible response has inspired the restaurant to leave the beer there, draped in an American flag, as a permanent tribute to those lost at war.
“I just can’t throw this beer away,” the bar’s manager Dan told KIRO 7. “I said let’s keep it. Just make sure that we change out the lime every day.”
