Members of the military don’t seem to get the respect they deserve these days for willingly putting their life on the line to safeguard our country.
Younger generations, in particular, may not understand the sacrifices made by individuals who serve in the military.
We are taught to respect and revere our warriors from a young age, and properly so.
After all, the military men and women who make such great sacrifices to ensure our freedom are deserving of it. As an adult, I am acutely aware of this, and whenever the opportunity presents itself, I support our military.
However, as a child, I had a hard time grasping the concept. Sure, I was aware that troops risked their lives to defend us, but I hadn’t yet grasped the full meaning of appreciation.
Jace Vega, a 6-year-old boy, surely does. After being photographed greeting military soldiers at San Antonio International Airport, a photo of the first-grader has gone viral.
On Sunday, Fox San Antonio used their Facebook page to draw attention to Jace. Jace’s photo has received nearly 3,000 likes and 1,900 shares as of this writing.
“Because they fight for our nation,” Jace said simply when asked why he had saluted them.
Jace and his family were waiting for his father to the return from a vacation to Colorado Springs at the airport. When the first-grader spotted the military officers, he decided to salute them on his own volition.
“How about telling to the them [the station] what you told me about wanting to be a soldier someday?” Joe Vega inquired, and his son replied, “Yep.”
Jace and his family were waiting for his father to return from a vacation to Colorado Springs at the airport. When the first-grader spotted the military officers, he decided to salute them on his own volition.
“How about telling them [the station] what you told me about wanting to be a soldier someday?” Joe Vega inquired, and his son replied, “Yep.”
So seeing a photo of the 6-year-old Jace Vega greeting a column of sailors on their way to their next mission at the San Antonio airport was pleasant.
According to the Jace’s father, Joe Vega, the photo was absolutely spontaneous.
Joe works in The Woodlands and was returning to his New Braunfels home on Sunday from Colorado Springs.
Jace was at the San Antonio airport with his mother, Priscilla Pinales-Vega, planning a surprise for the Joe.
Jace’s mother turned around to the see her son saluting the sailors while they waited.
The ecstatic mother the promptly grabbed a shot and the shared it on Facebook. “To know WE are teaching our children that the least they can do is honor the brave young men and women who serve our beautiful nation,” she wrote on Facebook.
When Priscilla showed her husband the photo, he first spotted the youngster saluting with his left hand. Nonetheless, he was moved by the his son’s patriotism.
