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Soldier buys 2 hungry brothers Taco Bell, and they're forever grateful

After Lt. Robert Risdon was approached by two young boys selling baked goods for their church, he decided to treat them to a meal of tacos.
/ Source: TODAY

Lt. Robert Risdon is familiar with the feeling of being cold, wet and hungry from his time serving in the Army.

As head coach of the Columbus Lions, Fort Benning's football team in Columbus, Georgia, Risdon and his co-coach Jason Gibson went to Mobile, Alabama, to observe players practicing for the Senior Bowl on Saturday.

On their way back to Columbus, where they're from, they stopped at a Taco Bell in Greenville, Alabama, to get a bite to eat and escape the storm. There they met two brothers, who approached their table asking if they'd like to buy some homemade baked goods to support their church.

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When the coaches said they didn't have any cash, Risdon asked if the boys would like something to eat, which made their faces immediately light up.

"They looked like they hadn't eaten a meal in weeks and had been out in the rain selling their stuff for a while," Risdon told TODAY.com. "I can't even count the number of times I was cold, wet and hungry in the Army. To sit in warmth and eat some tacos is a big victory for them."

After ordering five tacos each, which Gibson captured on video, they sat down at a nearby table.

"They both ate their first taco in under a minute," Jason Gibson told TODAY.com. "I've never seen anyone devour food that quickly before."

The coaches were blown away by how respectful they were.

"Everything was 'yes sir, no sir,'" Gibson said. "Whoever is raising them is doing a great job."

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According to the men, the youngest brother, BJ, 9, recognized Risdon's uniform and told him how much he looks up to him and wants to be just like him when he grows up. He said he loves what Risdon does for our country and kept saluting him.

"He was saluting me with his left hand while holding a taco in his right, which is the proper hand to use," Risdon said. "So I made him put down the taco and taught him the proper way to salute, which will come in handy if he actually grows up to be a soldier."

The boys put Risdon on the phone with their grandfather to prove that he paid for their food and they didn't use the money they were raising for their church.

"My kids were running through my mind the whole time," Risdon said. "The thought of my kids in their situation broke my heart, so it made me react and want to help the boys out and the least I could do was buy them some tacos."

Before parting ways, Gibson told them to make sure they paid it forward and they promised him they would.