A little off topic but not too Far.
I had just finished Basic training and was on leave at home at a bar celebrating a last night in the states with my friends before boarding a plane for overseas. A guy started talking to me , he asked what the party was all about and I explained I was headed for Korea , We started talking and I found out he had pulled 2 tours in Vietnam and left 7 months before the fall of Saigon. At the end of the night as he was heading for the doorway he turned and asked "can I give you a bit of advice?" one soldier to another , I said sure , He said "always know where you are, and what direction your headin in" then he just turned and left.
The next day I was already in my plane seat when the stewardess came over the intercom requesting me to the front of the plane. I unbuckled my seat belt and walked to the front. When I got there she said a man missed me at the gate but wanted me to have this - with that she handed me a note along with a beat up old military issue Vietnam era compass.
All the note said was ... To help you always know where you, are and what direction your headin in.
You know I never got his last name , but first name was Steve and I never forgot it, and I kept that compass
on me or close by all the way through my military career right up until the day I left.
The day I left I was in Chicago Ohare airport having a couple of drinks waiting for my connection home
when I started talking to a very young and nervous Private , I found out he just finished Basic and was
headed for Germany We talked for a bit and when my flight was called for boarding I took that compass
out of my carry on luggage and handed it to him and said here I want you to have this - It's to help you
always know where you are, what direction your heading in.
I think Steve would have liked that ... it made me feel good passing it on , and I like to think some years down the road that soldier handed it along to another new recruit in need of assurance and support.