Brookfield Vietnam Veteran Moved By Stranger's Simple Gesture

BROOKFIELD, WI — A Vietnam War veteran with cancer was moved by a sweet gesture on Saturday.

Cliff Evans, a Brookfield resident, had a hankering for ice cream, and something told him to go get a cone. The weather was warm, and a sweet cold treat sounded good to him.

He ended up at the McDonald's restaurant at Pilgrim and Silver Spring roads in Menomonee Falls. Once he got to the cashier in the drive-thru, he was told the woman behind him wanted to pay for his meal.

"She didn't know if I was buying lunch for 20 people, but it was just an ice cone," Evans said.

The cashier told him the customer noticed the Vietnam veteran bumper sticker on his car and wanted to thank him for his service.

The simple gesture caused him to break down into tears. He called his wife, Shirley Evans, who could barely hear him as he sobbed.

"I was dripping tears into my ice cream cone. I cried for over a half an hour. It was so wonderful," he said.

Evans posted about his experience on his wife's Nextdoor account.

The post garnered more than 1,200 reactions and more than 180 comments in support of the veteran.

"I thought other people would want to know about how a random act of kindness can have on people," he said.

Proud Veteran Serving His Country

The unnamed customer did not know that Evans has been dealing with stage 4 prostate cancer.

He originally attended the University of Wisconsin in chemistry and was told he wouldn't be drafted into the Vietnam War if he stayed in school.

But while walking around campus, he witnessed protests against the war and decided to enlist.

"I felt compelled to serve our country and stopped college to volunteer for four years. It was one of the best things I have ever done," he said.

He worked as an explosive ordnance disposal specialist while in the Army from 1967 until 1971, he told Patch. He was in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968.

Evans is currently the CEO of Badger Magnetics in Milwaukee.

While serving in Vietnam, he was exposed to Agent Orange, which he believed led to several illnesses, including cancer.

"Agent Orange was a tactical herbicide the U.S. military used to clear leaves and vegetation for military operations mainly during the Vietnam War. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange may have certain related illnesses," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Evans said he is disabled from a combination of four diseases: prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation and peripheral neuropathy. He also said he has post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss and tinnitus.

Most of the diseases have not caused him too many issues, and he has been able to live a healthy and productive life, he said.

"All of these have not inhibited work or my avocations of Harley riding, part-time airplane piloting, radio control model airplanes, and part-time associate pastor," he said.

Evans knows people wonder if being exposed to the toxic chemical diminished his pride in serving in the Army.

"No, not at all," he said. "I signed up to fight and defend our country. Freedom is never free."