Chili's removes manager who took away vet's meal

DALLAS (AP) — The president of the Chili's restaurant chain says the manager who took away a veteran's free Veterans Day meal has been "removed" from the job.

In a statement issued Monday, Chili's President Kelli Valade also said she personally apologized to Ernest Walker for the manager's actions and thanked him for his service to the country.

Ernest Walker posted a video to Facebook on Friday of the manager removing his meal at a Chili's in the Dallas suburb of Cedar Hill. The Army veteran wrote that the meal was removed after another diner questioned the uniform Walker was wearing. Walker says the manager took his meal even after Walker showed his military ID and discharge papers.

Walker says he bought the fatigues after his discharge as a tribute to his service.



“He asked if I was in the 24th unit, and I said “no the 25th”. TRICK QUESTION. He said he was in Germany, and that they did not let Blacks serve over there,” Walker wrote.

The restaurant manager then approached Walker and said a customer had said Walker was “not a real soldier because he had his hat on indoors.”

Walker showed the manager his military identification and discharge papers, but the meal was still taken away.