Token of gratitude for patriotism. (The Goodness of America).

Robert Setaro, 29, of Worcester, Massachusetts, enlisted in the Air Force in 1999. Two years earlier, his younger brother, Ryan, had enlisted, and five years before that another brother, Richard, had been killed when his Air Force helicopter crashed during a night training mission in South Korea.

Columnist Dianne Williamson, writing in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette for February 5th, described how Robert Setaro, currently stationed in Saudi Arabia, recently returned home for two days to attend his father-in-law's funeral. While there, he heard about a parcel of land for sale in the area of Worcester where he had grown up, behind a school he had attended as a youngster. Recently married, and with his tour of duty scheduled to end in three years, he became interested in purchasing the lot. He hired a lawyer and arranged to give his father power of attorney, then retained EcoTec Inc., a Worcester environmental consulting firm, to conduct a wetlands survey on the property. Unfortunately, the survey revealed that the land was too wet for what Airman Setaro had in mind.

Shortly thereafter, Robert's dad, Richard Setaro Sr., visited EcoTec. During a conversation with president Paul J. McManus and environmental scientist Scott Jordan, who had conducted the tests, he mentioned (as related by columnist Williamson) "that the land was to have been bought by his son who is stationed in Saudi Arabia. The men got to talking, and Mr. Setaro noted that he had lost a son in Korea and that his youngest boy was stationed in Oman as part of Operation Enduring Freedom."

A few days later, Mr. Setaro and his wife, Margaret, received a letter from EcoTec, along with son Robert's $200 retainer. The letter, signed by Mr. Jordan, read: "We at EcoTec have decided to disregard any charges for the wetlands consulting services rendered to you. We greatly appreciate the sacrifices you and your family are giving to our country, and feel that it is only appropriate to offer this small token of our gratitude. Once again, thank you for your patriotism."

EcoTec president McManus told Williamson: "Given the times, and the general sentiment of appreciation for people in service, we basically decided to eat [the cost]," which he estimated at around $350. "It's not a huge thing. I know enlisted guys don't have deep pockets. Their family story struck a nerve. They're nice people, and it seemed like the right thing to do."

Mr. Setaro, a retired truck driver, told Williamson that the considerate gesture "revived memories of people's kindness when his son was killed -- the strangers who raised money for the memorial, the friends who brought food and comfort, the small acts of humanity that loom large in the hearts of a grieving family." On one occasion, Mr. Setaro recalled, "a man walked into my store, held out his hand and said, 'I just wanted to shake the hand of the man who lost a son so that I could have a life.'"

Williamson writes that "Mrs. Setaro carries the letter from EcoTec in her pocketbook. She's shown it to lots of people -- friends, family, colleagues at the school cafeteria where she works. To a mother, the words reinforce her conviction that her sons are invested in a country worth fighting for."