John Harkness, a retired Marine, and his wife, Lynn, were at the center of a controversy last month at a Walmart store in Arizona during a charity event.
The couple have volunteered for the Toys for Tots program for years and were at the store to raise money and collect donations for underprivileged children.
A longtime holiday giving staple, Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve initiative, is also one that the Harknesses are well known for.
But then a Walmart employee approached John about his Marine uniform.
The employee told FOX News that it could “intimidate customers” and said it violated the company’s policy against unauthorized solicitation.
When the couple heard the confrontation, they said they were ‘stunned and ashamed’ as this was the first time they had faced something like this at this site.
It was even more surprising, because John and Lynn had been doing the same type of fundraising effort at the same Walmart for years with no incident.
They were captured on video by a bystander who filmed the moment and it spread quickly across social media.
The Harknesses left the store, and John was still in his Marine uniform, visibly disheartened by the interaction, the footage showed.
The video received millions of views, bringing out public outrage about what many considered to be lack of respect to a veteran.
But comments started to flood in, one user writing, ‘This man risked his life for our freedom and this is what he gets?’ Unacceptable.”
Critics began to question Walmart’s values and its treatment of veterans immediately and, especially, during the holiday season.
Walmart on Tuesday clarified in an initial response that their policies were not aimed at veterans, but rather to ensure uniformity across locations.
But as the criticism piled up, Walmart’s CEO apologized to the Harkness family in a formal way, saying the retailer made a misstep.
“We deeply regret the incident involving Mr. Harkness and his wife,” the CEO said. This is not reflective of our values,” said Walmart, which has a long history of supporting veterans.”
Walmart made the announcement in an effort to rebuild trust with the community, and announced a donation of $50,000 to the Toys for Tots program.
It also brought massive backing for the Harknesses, with local businesses pledging to give their basements to hold fundraising events.
After the event, donations for Toys for Tots surged, helping the campaign smash past its typical records due to widespread coverage.
Later, John was honored in a special commendation ceremony by a local Marine Corps Reserve unit for his commitment to service, and for his commitment to charity.
At the ceremony, the commanding officer at the ceremony said: ‘John’s tenacity in the face of hardship is a reminder to all of us what it truly means to serve selflessly.’
The story continued to spread and people began talking about how we treat veterans and the spirit of giving.
It was a bitter sweet experience for John. ‘It’s been overwhelming support, but it was a disappointing situation,’ he said.
It also meant a lot to John to reflect on the Toys for Tots mission and he said, ‘It’s always been about the children, not about me.’
The Harknesses remain committed to their mission, with a renewed sense of purpose as the community rallies around them.
It is a powerful story to remember to honor those who serve and to be compassionate this time of year.