Outside, under the lights of the gallery where people stood wearing Armani with silk ties and long flowing evening dresses a man stood in a long threadbare coat and gloves with no fingers holding a small sign that read, “Please help a Vet.”

Faces frowned, heads turned, tongues clicked.
But one man, one man knew.
He stepped out of line, handed the vet twenty dollars.

And as his breath came in small frosty puffs from the cold night air he said, “Thanks for your service.”