WWII veteran, 97, went to Arby's every day — so the employees gave him a life-changing surprise

A beautiful story unraveled inside the walls of a local Arby’s store in Chandler, Arizona. A WWII veteran Doug Parker, then 97, had been a loyal customer of the fast-food sandwich chain for the past three years, ordering his staple order for lunch every day. Believe it or not, an act of love is powerful and contagious. The Arby’s employees noticed his continued presence in the store and acknowledged him with a heartwarming gesture in 2018, as reported by Fox10 Phoenix. 

Referred to as Mr. Doug, the veteran reportedly had no family and lived in a retirement home nearby. Whatever he did, he never missed his lunch order of a roast beef slider with Swiss cheese and a senior drink comprising of Coke without ice. On days he was unable to step in, the employees ensured his staple was delivered to him at his home. Three years shy of a centenarian, Parker had a tough time searching for appropriate meals that would not make him sick because of his stomach disorder. He told the new channel at the time, “This is the only place I can get a sandwich or get something to anything else to eat that doesn't hurt my stomach.” 

Little did the WWII veteran know how special he was to the store workers. On Christmas 2018, each employee chipped in to collect a $200 gift card for Parker. The manager, Christina Gamage told him, "We really enjoy you here and we always want you to come back,” according to an onlooker, Daniel Maloney, who witnessed the special moment. Mr. Doug was too shocked to say anything and stood there in awe. Instead, he resorted to humor when responding to the kind gesture, and quipped, "I never know if I'll be here the next day, but thank you so much for this.” 

It eventually led to a lifetime of free food from Arby’s after Maloney shared the story on Facebook. “Let's give him Arby's for life, I have no problem with that. We try to go above and beyond for him because he needs the extra love," Gamage later told ABC News. Maloney’s post went viral and was covered by major news outlets spotlighting the empathetic and selfless nature of the employees. Touched by the gesture, he wrote, “There are so many good people in the world.” Since Parker did not have a family, the workers were happy to help in any way they could, like a chosen family. 

"He comes in with a walker, as soon as we see him come to the doors, we try [to] grab the doors for him," the manager told the news outlet. They also shared their phone numbers with Parker, just in case. The contagious nature of love also earned him a free eye check-up and glasses from a local doctor visiting the store. Unfortunately, Mr. Doug passed away in 2021, as per an X post shared by Dwayne Chomyn, K.C. (@Citizen004) on X. The post gave a background check on his veteran experiences and revealed that he had taken part in the D-Day landing in 1944. He was also one of the first to land and managed to survive 11 months of warfare until Victory in Europe Day (VE). A story meant to be retold.