CARY, N.C. (WNCN) — It started with a LinkedIn post.
Ed Roshitsh offered to pay for the flights of five service members so they could be with their families for the holidays. That gesture has now inspired others to step up.
“I’ll personally pay to fly five random service members home,” the post read.
That was Saturday around noon. Ed waited and waited.
“Military people don’t get paid a lot — especially enlisted. I think an E1 might make $15,000 a year. And so, to travel home is a real hardship,” Roshitsh said.
Eighteen hours went by with nothing. Then Sunday it took off.
“An email comes in. Another email comes in. Another email comes in,” he said.
Roshitsh explained 60 service members from around the world have applied for the help. Perhaps what’s more surprising is people have been stepping up and offering to pay for their flights home. The names of the service members who apply go onto a slip of paper. They’re picked out of a hat.
Each one has a story. Roshitsh knows them well.
“Her dad is sick and they didn’t know if they’d be able to get home for the holidays. And so, she had no other way, and so she threw her name in a hat,” he said.
It’s not exactly a high-tech process for the owner of the software company Dude Solutions.
Roshitsh said he’s helped 42 service members so far.
“As long as the donations keep trickling in. I’ll keep drawing names,” he explained.
He’s hoping to help every service member in that hat.
