We are rightfully taught to appreciate and honor our warriors at a young age.After all, it is due to the military men and women who make such great sacrifices for the maintenance of our freedom. I’m well aware of this as an adult, and whenever the opportunity presents itself, I stand with our military.
However, when I was younger, the idea occasionally eluded me. I was aware that warriors risked their lives to keep us safe, but I was still ignorant of the actual significance of appreciation.
Jace Vega, 6, most definitely does. The first-grader was photographed at San Antonio International Airport saluting military personnel, and a photo of the child has since gone viral.
Fox San Antonio brought attention to Jace by way of its Facebook page on Sunday. As of the time of writing, Jace’s photo has racked up almost 3,000 likes and 1,900 shares.
When asked why he had given the salute, Jace simply responded: “Because they fight for our country.”
Jace and his family were at the airport to meet his father as he returned from a trip to Colorado Springs. It was then that the first-grader saw the military personnel and decided, of his own accord, to salute them.
“Why don’t you tell them [the station] what you told me that maybe you want to be a soldier someday, right?” Joe Vega asked his son, who responded: “Yep.”
Joe expressed his pride in his young son and mentioned that the salute might have opened doors for him in the future.
“A few businesses have contacted us, and some other individuals have just contacted my wife,” he said. They intend to display his photo in a Florida airport. A few veteran locally owned shirt-making businesses that are both locally owned and operated will work with him on a few shirts.