This is about good news — bad news. Food Lion is first. The good news is on Veterans Day, Food Lion offered a 10 percent discount. The bad news is the odd way it was advertised. Their ad stated a 10 percent discount to “active” and “retired” military personnel. That was very misleading.

If you’re not sure what a veteran is and if you decide to offer us something next year and thank us for “our service,” check out Harris Teeter’s ad. They got it right, plus they gave us 11 percent.

Next is K&W Cafeteria. The good news is this year they offered a free meal for veterans instead of just an entree. That was great. The bad news is they were not prepared.

The veteran in front of me was stopped at the cash register for his receipt.

He told the cashier, “I’m a veteran.”

She said, “Can you prove it?”

He handed her a copy of his DD214.

She asked, “What is this?”

Veteran, “My DD214.”

Cashier, “What’s a DD214?”

Veteran, “It’s my discharge from the Army.”

The cashier handed it back to him and said, “Well, I can’t use this. You’re gonna have to pay for your meal.”

Veteran, “OK, then. Go ahead and ring it up. I’ll pay for it. It’s not that big of a deal.”

That’s when I spoke up, I told him it was a big deal. K&W offered a free meal for all veterans and he wasn’t gonna pay for anything.

The cashier said she believed me, but “they” hadn’t told her anything about a DD214.

I asked her,”Who is they?”

About then the manager stepped up and rectified the situation.

Next year, if you thank us for “our service,” do it without such an unnecessary delay.

The bad news is “There Ain’t No Free Lunch.”

The good news is, Thanksgiving is on Thursday this year.

— Whitey Harwood

China Grove