While driving on a road in Killeen, Texas, a Fort Hood soldier noticed a funeral procession on the opposite side of the highway.
As he was passing by, the soldier, Kenneth Varnes noticed a line of patrol cars and vehicles with American flags on them. As a soldier himself, he realized the funeral was for a fallen veteran and decided to pull off to the side of the road and get out of the car.
In the midst of a thunderstorm and pouring rain, Varnes stood beside his vehicle and saluted the fallen veteran until the final patrol car passed by.
Zachary Rummings, a resident nearby noticed Varnes standing outside in the storm and took a picture of Varnes saluting the fallen veteran.
Rummings then shared the photo on social media and asked if anyone knew who the man was.
“In a funeral procession for a retired soldier and he stood in the rain the entire time and saluted,” Rummings wrote. “Hats off and respect to that young man. Thank you.”
Almost immediately, Varnes was identified.
“This is probably going to make someone’s day, seeing me stand here, and I know how it is to go through a tough time like that, and I really just did it just to make someone’s day, that was it,” Varnes told KWTX.
Even though Varnes has received praise for his patriotic act, Varnes said that it was only natural for him to salute the veteran.
“I don’t care if they were 80 years old, they were in World War II, they were in Vietnam, they were in Iraq, I don’t care if they were 20,” Varnes said. “It’s a brotherhood.”
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