This is a story about patriotism, respect, and the power of an unexpected moment. Tom and Jenni Dexter are homeowners from Saginaw, Michigan who have been deeply troubled by reports that our country is on a downward projection and that patriotism is at an all-time low. However, they proudly display the American flag outside their home as a sign of their commitment to our nation.
One day while leaving his house, Tom noticed something amazing captured on his door security camera – Delawrence Jones, an Amazon driver dedicating time to untangle their flag before standing at attention and saluting it with pride. The Dexters were moved to tears by this act of respect for America.
Tom and Jenni found out that Delawrence had been covering another driver’s route that day when he stopped at their house. Jenni contacted him via social media asking permission to share the video which quickly went viral showing how Americans are looking for something uplifting to demonstrate love for our country.
When asked why he chose to salute the flag Jones replied “Well it was me being me, showing respect and honor to the American flag no matter what is going on in our country – I firmly believe we should still have pride in the greatest country on earth… That side of me I will never let go.”
The story was then picked up by Fox News which brought everyone together for an interview. Appearing on Fox & Friends First Tom revealed what happened when he saw the ring camera video saying “I got a little choked up – He took the time to honor the flag, honor the country and he appreciates what we appreciate.”
The appearance also marked the first time Tom & Jenni met face-to-face with Jones after witnessing his gesture which left them with tears in their eyes – “It touches my heart” said Jenni adding that her family has nearly a dozen members who have served in our military forces. She went on further saying “We can feel it in our country that patriotism is down if we can all do little things like this I think it’ll make a difference”.
Despite one Wall Street Journal poll indicating American patriotism may be waning other reports suggest otherwise – 65% of people seem very or extremely proud of their nationality owning flags (64%) as well as apparel showcasing patriotic imagery or symbols (51%).
Interestingly there appears to be no generation gap between Millennials, Gen Xers or Baby Boomers when it comes to displaying national pride!
At its core this story serves as reminder about simple acts of kindness towards each other regardless where we stand politically – It wasn’t just about saluting but rather more importantly touching cloth gently as Delawerence walked away – Its these small moments done without expecting anything back which truly define us whilst demonstrating character beyond compare.
