WWII veteran pays $1,500 Chick-fil-A bill for service members, military families for 92nd birthday

(FOX NEWS) - One generous World War II veteran and "regular customer" at Chick-fil-A recently paid a good deed forward in honor of his 92nd birthday, footing a $1,500 bill for active-duty service members and military families at a California location of the chicken-centric chain.

Ahead of his milestone birthday on Feb. 19, Edmund Rusinek told the OC Register that the small gesture is a something of a personal tradition.

"This tradition, so to speak, got started in 1945 when I was a draftee training in Little Rock, Arkansas. To take a break from the GI food, some of my buddies and I left base for some good ol' Southern food," the Rossmoor resident told the outlet. "At the restaurant, an elderly gentleman stepped up to us and asked, 'Can you do me a favor? Will you let me buy your lunch? If you want to thank me, pass it down.'"

Forever inspired by the kind deed, Rusinek says that he's been "passing it down" ever since.

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