(Courtesy of Jay County Sheriff’s Office)
Two sheriff’s deputies were dispatched when a tornado touched down and severely damaged a number of houses in an Indiana county.
In the wake of the storm, stirring photos were taken as the deputies assessed the damage and found an American flag amidst the debris; the images show the two men carefully folding it—an act of patriotism and respect for their country.
The National Weather Service had reported the storm which developed into a supercell on Friday, June 15; a tornado touched down in Jay County, causing significant damage to houses, while downing power lines and a 100-foot communications tower, Fox News reported.
The deputies responded, and after making sure that all the residents were safe, Sergeant Derek Bogenschutz spotted the American flag amidst the piles of debris. He, along with Deputy Eric Smitley, pulled Old Glory from the rubble and decided that folding the flag was the right thing to do.
Bogenschutz had learned the proper way of folding the flag from his father, who’d served in the Army and the Army Legion.
One of their colleagues, who was cataloguing the damage, snapped the photographs. They were posted on social media and garnered major media attention for the two officers—who later appeared on “Fox and Friends” for a video interview.
“It just felt right,” Smitley told “Fox and Friends” when asked what made them decide to fold the flag. “Respect for our flag, respect for our country.”
Bogenschutz added, “We have overwhelming support from the community. They’re all coming out helping their neighbors. Everyone’s volunteering where they can.”
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