Patriotism Goes Viral: FedEx Driver Stops To Pick Up N.J. Homeowner's Flag After Pole Is Blown Over
FREEHOLD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- An act of patriotism was caught on camera. A FedEx driver went above an beyond last week to show respect to the American flag.
The winds were whipping Friday in Freehold, so much so that Rick Guerino's flag pole came tumbling down on his front yard. While at work, he got an alert from his Ring doorbell camera.
"I saw a FedEx guy coming up my driveway and I didn't know why because I wasn't getting a package and all of a sudden he bent down and picked up my flag," Guerino said.
Chris Oslovitch unhooked the flag from the pole and began properly folding it.
"When you see something like that you can't just drive past it and ignore it. It's something that just caught my eye and I had to do something about it," the 32-year-old said. "It's a respectful thing to do. The flag is never supposed to touch ground. If you live in a country like this, you should be proud of where you come from."
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Wanting to spread the message of respect, Guerino posted the video on Facebook and it has been viewed in excess of 285,000 times.
"I was just so stunned at the kind act he did. It was stunning. You don't see that often," he said.
Guerino said he put the flag pole up after 9/11.
Oslovitch said his father was one of the first responders to arrive on the scene on that day nearly 19 years ago. He said he learned how to properly fold the flag from his father, who has since passed away from cancer.
"Both of my grandfathers served in war. My father was an Essex County Sheriff's officer, so I grew up in a pretty respectable, strict family. I like to think that I had a very good upbringing and I'd like to pass on that positive image," Oslovitch said.
The two patriots plan to meet in person later this week. Guerino said he needs to replace the flag pole and get a new American flag waving soon.
Oslovitch is hoping to follow in his father's footsteps and has applied to several police departments to become an officer.
