Marine Spends All Night In Dying Dad’s Hospital Room, Then Tells Nurse He’s Not The Man’s Son

You’re about to read an inspirational story about a young Marine who spends the night in a hospital comforting an elderly man.

The old man is dying, and all he wants is his son by his side — but the nurse makes a big mistake.

This not a true story, but an incredible work of short fiction written in 1964 by Roy Popkin. It was published under the title “Night Watch” in the September 1965 edition of Reader’s Digest.

Because of its highly emotional pull, the story has been re-circulated online since the 1990s under a variety of titles such as “He Needed a Son” and “Just Stay,” and has also been reprinted in a number of Chicken Soup for the … Soul editions.

Read on, but make sure to keep your tissues close.

The ending features a surprising twist, so much so that I had to go back and read it again…

What an amazing story of selflessness. God bless servicemen and women who go above and beyond the call of duty on the warfront and back at home. Please SHARE this touching tale with your friends on Facebook.