A Thruway Grinch is putting an end to a toy soldier tribute this Christmas.

Lynn Marshall set up the small gesture to honor our military at the Mobile gas station where she works on the New York Thruway in Schuyler. "I wanted to show appreciation for our military, especially at Christmas when they may not be able to be home with their families."

Customers are encouraged to take home a toy soldier and put it somewhere that will remind them to pray for those serving our country. But the box of soldiers has to be removed. "The Thruway inspector came through with his boss, Daryl Dupuis who said I had to take it down," says Marshall. "It's been up for two years, why is it a problem now?"

Photo Credit - Lynne Marie Marshall
Photo Credit - Lynne Marie Marshall
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Marshall says the problem is, they aren't allowed to sell toys at the gas station. "I'm not selling them. I'm giving them away."

The toy soldier tribute was just a way for Marshall to say thank you. "I'm more hurt than anything. I was just trying to do something good for our military."

The military is close to Marshall's heart. Her father was in the Army and her uncle fought in Iwo Jima. "The military comes through in convoys and they love it," she says. "What was it hurting?"

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