My parents taught me to respect other people when I was younger.
They instilled in me the importance of treating others with dignity, so I grew up with the same sense of purpose.
So it moved me to see a photograph of a single US soldier standing at attention in the pouring rain. I’m delighted the person who took the photo recognized they had to show it to everyone.
It’s hardly unexpected that many rushed to pay respect to the soldier once the photo went viral.
But what he said once he was discovered revealed the true nature of the man…
It was on July 6, 2017. Erin Hester was seated on a roadway in Vine Grove, Kentucky, at the intersection of two routes.
She noticed a soldier standing at attention in the pouring rain. She stared at him for a moment before remembering there was a funeral procession passing by. He was saluting despite the fact that he was not in the procession or knew the deceased.
Hester knew she had to capture the event on film. Her photo was shared on social media, where it received a lot of positive comments.
“Today, I was greatly impacted by this,” Hester said on Facebook. As a funeral procession passed by in the pouring rain, this soldier got out of his vehicle and stood at attention. I’m irritated when automobiles don’t pull over to the side of the road and stop for a procession. This man, on the other hand, went above and above.
“I’m very sure this isn’t anything troops are forced to perform because of a military rule. It warmed my heart to see how much respect this man exhibited to a family he had never met. #respect #values.”
Soldier identified
After her tweet went viral, WHASII tracked out the soldier who had done her a favor. Col. Jack L. Usrey, the Senior Army Advisor for the Tennessee Army National Guard, was identified.
“I also owe everything to my parents, Jim and Judy Usrey of Martin, Tennessee,” he stated, refusing to take the accolades. They have taught me to do this since I can remember.
“I’m astounded and humbled by the response to such a minor gesture. My immediate reaction was that the poor weather couldn’t be helping the family, and I wanted to do something modest to show them we cared.”
