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Video Of Child Thanking Military Men In Mall Food Court Goes Viral

WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) – Five-year-old Caidon Markley and his dad M.J. toss a football in their yard in Washington, Pennsylvania.

The boy shows no sign of smugness over his recent Facebook fame.

It all began Friday at nearby Crown Center Mall. The father and son were in the food court, having a bowl of rice before the movie started, when Caidon noticed soldiers having lunch at the next table. Having learned that soldiers should be thanked for their service, the boy wanted to talk to them.

"I said, 'Go over and talk to them,'" his dad recalls. "So he goes over and shakes the one guy's hand, the first guy, and then the next thing you know he's going around the table. I'm like, wow."

Sensing a family album kind of moment, M.J. caught it on video. He uploaded the scene onto the Washington County site, and young Caidon became an overnight star.

"It's just been everywhere," M.J. adds.

Caidon's proud mom, Shannon Markley, is amazed by the reaction.

"We've never had anyone in our family all over the internet like that before," she said.

For Caidon, saying thanks was a no brainer.

"Because they make people safe," he says, adding that they protect us from "bad guys."

So he gave a thank you to the good guys.

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