Larry Tillotson paused for a moment in front of a simple round table.

Referred to as the "white table," it is graced by a white tablecloth, a black napkin, a single white candle, a lemon and a small, white plate of salt.

A single chair completed the memorial.

"It's hard to put into words what I feel when I stand here," Tillotson, a veteran of the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, said with a slight quiver in his voice. "I think of my former comrades, the ones who left their blood in the jungle." After a moment or two, he turned and said, "Some left their souls."

The driving force behind the simple yet powerful remembrance of fallen, missing or captive Servicemembers is John Reynolds, the owner and operator of J.R.'s Whistle Stop.

He decided to set the table about a year ago after having seen one in another restaurant.

"I had gone to lunch with my sister, who works at State Farm Insurance in DuPont, and I noticed a small, white table set up in the company's on-site cafeteria," Reynolds said. "The number of people who stopped to look at it and reflect amazed me, and so I decided that I would put one here."

Born out of this nation's experiences with the Vietnam War, every item on the white table speaks to every Servicemember today. The tablecloth represents purity of heart, the black napkin the sorrow of captivity, the white candle signifies peace, the lemon symbolizes bitter fate, and the salt recalls the tears shed by the families of the missing.

"At least once or twice a week a customer will quietly stand in front of the table for a while," Reynolds said.  "They are remembering something or someone."

A modest and humble man with a quick mind, clear blue eyes and the determination to serve his customers and community well, Reynolds said that he simply wants to continue to put others first.

"We do a lot of events here, and before we do we ask for a moment of silence for past, present and future Servicemembers," he added. "The message here is that you are welcome here."

J.R.'s Whistle Stop is located at 22225 Mountain Highway East in Spanaway. It features a family friendly and fun environment, a full menu and a railroad train themed environment with numerous train models and memorabilia.

For more information, visit www.jrswhistlestop.com, call (253) 847-0111 or email jreynoldsgeorgia@comcast.net.