Montel Williams, a former enlisted Marine and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, served lunch to nearly 100 wounded warriors and their families at the Fisher House in Bethesda, Maryland, a day before Valentines Day.

The visit came as a surprise for some of the guests of Fisher House. Williams arrived at 9 in the morning to prepare the food. Lunch was served at noon.

This is Williams’ seventh trip to the Fisher House, to provide lunch for wounded warriors and their families, as well as the guards on the base. Fifty-six Fisher Houses across the country provide assistance to the family members and caregivers of wounded warriors, who need a place to stay while their loved ones are recuperating in various Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities across the country. Fisher Houses are available free of charge, and serve an average of 17,000 families a year.

Williams, a trustee of the Fisher House Foundation, shared: “These family members come down here and they do what we don’t do for those who allow us to live with the dignity we do and the freedom we do… These family members don’t ask for anything, they barely even ask for help, they don’t even know about Fisher House. Most of the time, Fisher House has to reach out to them and say, look, I have a place for you to stay.”

The wounded warriors and their families enjoyed a sumptuous lunch consisting of baby back ribs; pulled pork and coleslaw; fried fish courtesy of Montel’s sister, Marjorie; crab cakes courtesy of Montel’s father, Herman; a salad and turkey chili prepared by one of Montel’s favorite chefs, Claire Winslow; and green fruit smoothies prepared by Montel himself. There were also two large patriotic cakes for dessert.