Here’s Hoping For A Response

Dear Ann Landers: I have enjoyed reading the random acts of kindness letters in your column and hope you will print mine. It will warm the hearts of many readers who served in World War II.

On May 5, 1945, after returning from 49 successful combat missions, I married my college sweetheart, Mary. The wedding went well, and we took off to spend my two-week furlough in Buffalo.

Along the shores of Lake Erie it often rains. On that particular day it began pouring - a virtual cloudburst! Halfway to Buffalo, a tire went flat. I pulled over on the shoulder and started to jack up the car when another car pulled over. A man got out and approached me. He saw my uniform with all the service ribbons and said, “Get back in the car. You’ve done enough for the rest of us. I want to do this for you.”

Needless to say, I gave him no argument. When he finished changing the tire, I thanked him and tried to give him some money, but he wouldn’t accept it. He insisted it was the least he could do and was glad for the opportunity. Unfortunately, I neglected to get his name.

During the 50 years that have passed, I have thought of that man often and wished I could tell him how much his act of kindness meant to me and Mary. I hope he will see this letter in the paper and know that the soldier and his bride he helped on that rainy day outside of Buffalo never forgot him. - James in Riverside, Calif.

Dear James: What a heartwarming story! I, too, hope that the Good Samaritan sees your story. If I hear from him, I will let you know.

Dear Ann Landers: I just learned something you might want to pass along to your readers. Recently, I moved into a house that has two smoke detectors. The red lights were on, so I assumed they were working.

My nephew was visiting and suggested that we check the smoke detectors just to make sure they were functional. It had never occurred to me. He built a small bonfire in an aluminum pie tin and held it under the detectors. There was no response. We inquired at the hardware store and learned that smoke detectors last only 10 years and then they need to be replaced.

I’ve told several people about it, and they have all said, “I didn’t know that!” I’ll bet a lot of your readers “didn’t know that” either. I hope you will print this letter. - D.C. in Carlsbad, Calif.

Dear D.C.: Count me as another one who didn’t know that.

We checked with the Chicago Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Education office and learned that instructions from Underwriter’s Laboratories, the company that tests electric appliances to see if they meet certification standards, determine when to replace electric and battery-operated smoke detectors. Usually, it is after 10 years for the electric ones and after five years for battery-run detectors.

As with all electrical devices, the Underwriter’s instructions for smoke detectors should be read and understood BEFORE the device is installed. They should be kept on file and reviewed periodically as long as the detector is in use.

Dear Ann Landers: When I was growing up, it was considered proper to leave a few bites of food on one’s plate. Does that rule still hold? - Canon City, Colo.

Dear Canon: I don’t know when you grew up, but a clean plate is always a compliment to the chef or the hostess.