A disabled veteran of Wilbraham, Massachusetts came to the rescue on Memorial Day when a flagpole in front of a nursing home had been knocked down.
Former Army Specialist Darren Swallow, who served multiple deployments to Iraq, was notified by his girlfriend about the absence of the flagpole that might have been taken down by a storm or a plow truck.
As a result, Swallow stood at attention—in uniform—holding the American flag for a total of nine-hours in front of the nursing home. He apparently held an American flag from 3:30 in the morning until Monday afternoon—it even rained a bit.
However, Swallow wasn’t the only veteran that payed homage to his country on Monday.
A Marine veteran stood at attention and saluted for two hours on Monday at Wendover Avenue corridor with a sign that read “It’s Not Free.”
“For those that have lost someone in war, Memorial Day is every day. We can’t forget the sacrifices not only these men and women have made but also the sacrifices the families at home make by losing their loved ones,” Skip Nix told Fox 8.
Bystanders were very responsive. A man wiped the sweat off of Nix’s face, someone gave him a bottle of water, and cars even honked at him showing acknowledgment.
“This restores my faith in people who love this country. So far not one negative comment. Nothing but positives. It brings back hope for me for this country,” Nix said. “Just remember the sacrifices that have been made.”
Nix, who was a firefighter for 35 years, is a retired Division Fire Chief for the City of Greensboro. He also did a six-year tour as a U.S Marine.
