Throwing up

As the crowded airliner is about to take off, a five-year-old boy who
picks that moment to
throw a wild temper tantrum shatters the peace. No matter what his
frustrated,
embarrassed mother does to try to calm him down, the boy continues to
scream furiously
and kick the seats around him.
Suddenly, from the rear of the plane, an elderly man in the uniform of
an Air Force
General is seen slowly walking forward up the aisle. Stopping the
flustered mother with
an upraised hand, the white-haired, courtly, soft-spoken General leans
down and,
motioning toward his chest, whispers something into the boy's ear.
Instantly, the boy calms down, gently takes his mother's hand, and
quietly fastens his seat
belt.
All the other passengers burst into spontaneous applause. As the
General slowly makes
his way back to his seat, one of the cabin attendants touches his
sleeve.
“Excuse me, General,” she asks quietly, “but could I ask you what magic
words you used
on that little boy?”
The old man smiles serenely and gently confides, “I showed him my
pilot's wings,
service stars, and battle ribbons, and explained that they entitle me
to throw one
passenger out the plane door, on any flight I choose.”