A man was captured on surveillance footage folding and returning an American flag that had blown off a pole.
The Ring doorbell camera captured a man retrieving the flag outside of a home in Tennessee recently, folding it neatly, and placing it on a chair at the doorstep of the home.
Erin Fezell of Gallitan shared the footage on Facebook, praising the man and asking if anyone knew who it was.
He was later identified as a nephew of one of her neighbors.
Fezell wrote that unusually harsh winds tore the flag off the pole and that she was “in awe” that the man took the time to thoughtfully retrieve it and fold it.
Guys, this just happened. I'm in awe of this gentleman. Apparently the winds were so terrible that it took our flag off the pole. Talk about admirable. I'm not sure who this is, but I truly thank you. You're a remarkable human and I am honored that you know flag etiquette (better than I do). He folded it correctly then placed it on a chair as to not allow it to lay on the ground. I'm so honored. It's not often that the current generation gets recognized for doing something so patriotic. I appreciate and applaud you, sir!Cheers to you, sir![UPDATE: Outstanding American has been identified! It's our neighbor's nephew!]
تم النشر بواسطة Erin Fezell في الإثنين، ٢٦ نوفمبر ٢٠١٨
“He folded it correctly then placed it on a chair as to not allow it to lay on the ground. I’m so honored,” she wrote.
“It’s not often that the current generation gets recognized for doing something so patriotic. I appreciate and applaud you, sir!”
She told Fox 17 that the gesture was touching.
“To come back to our roots and to see the importance of what that symbol means, it’s just truly a touching moment,” she said. “I just simply applaud him for this small action as it spoke volumes as to the character he has within.”
“I’m truly humbled by this experience, seeing someone care so much about something as small as a flag,” Fezell added.
Many Facebook users praised the man as well.
“What a special young man and a credit to his parents and family,” wrote one user.
“Love to his country and the respect for the American flag thank you, young man,” added another.
“That’s freaking awesome. And just shows, you can’t judge a book by his cover cause I definitely thought something was about to get stolen off the front porch,” added another.
American Flag Facts
Many people enjoy flying the American flag or seeing it flown but some don’t know some interesting facts about the flag.
The flag started with 13 stars in 1777 and gradually expanded over the years before arriving at the current 50 stars on July 4, 1960, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
The flag looked somewhat different over the years until an executive order in June 1912 mandated the order of the stars and proportions of the flag.
“Consequently, flags dating before this period sometimes show unusual arrangements of the stars and odd proportions, these features being left to the discretion of the flag maker. In general, however, straight rows of stars and proportions similar to those later adopted officially were used,” the Smithsonian stated.
A series of executive orders and resolutions, including that one, gradually shaped the flag’s design. The last two were from President Dwight Eisenhower in 1959. The final one provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.
