Alabama man aids
Schofield soldier

Afghanistan-bound Herbert Izquierdo
gets an unexpected gift from a stranger

John Robinson didn't even get a chance to grab the Hawaii soldier's name.

All he knew is that Sgt. 1st Class Herbert Izquierdo, his seatmate on a six-hour American Airlines flight from Honolulu to Dallas on Aug. 13, was hoping to get a last-minute ticket to see his mother in Houston during an eight-hour layover in Dallas but was not sure he could afford the fare.

So he did something that would later bring a Houston mother to tears. Without thinking, Robinson chipped in $100 to help the soldier, who was on his way back to Afghanistan after a two-week leave in Hawaii to meet his third child, born while Izquierdo was away.

The contribution meant the Schofield Barracks soldier was able to get to Houston and spend 30 minutes with his mother on her 61st birthday before heading back to Dallas to catch a plane to his duty post.

"I happened to have the money," Robinson said in a telephone interview last week. "Of course, it made me feel good that I did."

Robinson, of Alabama, and Izquierdo had talked briefly on the plane. "I had been in Hawaii on business," Robinson said, "and ... had ended up sitting by the soldier. I don't even know his name."

When the flight landed in Dallas, Izquierdo and Robinson had parted. The soldier approached flight attendant Rika Smith to inquire how much a plane ticket from Dallas to Houston -- two cities separated by less than 240 miles -- would cost.

Smith said it would be at least $200 -- more than Izquierdo could afford. When Smith got off the airplane, it was Robinson's turn to approach the Dallas-based flight attendant.

"He told me that he wanted to help the sergeant pay for his air fare to Houston," Smith said. Robinson was due to board a flight, so Smith offered to take a $100 bill to the soldier.

Smith then asked for Robinson's card.

"My business card?" Robinson asked. "Yes," Smith replied, "so he can thank you."

When Smith found Izquierdo, he was haggling with a ticket agent to get a cheaper fare. She gave him Robinson's money, and "he just kind of looked at me."

"He was kind of shocked," Smith said. "He thanked me for tracking him down."

So Izquierdo was able to afford his ticket home. His sister picked him up, and he surprised his mother on her birthday.

"She was crying," said Karla Leal, Izquierdo's sister in Houston. "It was wonderful."

The visit only lasted half an hour -- Izquierdo had to get back to the airport for his flight. And when he got back to Dallas, he called his wife, who lives in Wahiawa with their three children, to tell her about Robinson's gift.

"He thought it was wonderful," Jennifer Izquierdo said. "I just want the guy to know that I appreciate it so much."