Iconic photo of Los Angeles Dodger Rick Monday pulling the American flag away from
protesters who were about to burn the flag in protest of the Vietnam War.
On April 25, 1976, during a game at Dodger Stadium, two protesters, a man and his son, ran into the outfield and tried to set fire to an American flag they had brought with them.
Rick Monday, then playing with the Cubs, noticed they had placed the flag on the ground and were fumbling with matches and lighter fluid; he then dashed over and grabbed the flag off the ground to thunderous cheers.
He handed the flag to Los Angeles pitcher Doug Rau, after which the ballpark police arrested the two intruders.
When he came up to bat in the next half-inning, he got a standing ovation from the crowd and the big message board behind the left-field bleachers in the stadium flashed the message, "RICK MONDAY... YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY..."
He later said, "If you're going to burn the flag, don't do it around me.
I've been to too many veterans' hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it."
I especially like the expression on the face of the "son" protester as the flag is being snatched away.
What a fine father and son activity...
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What can you do to be a "great American?"
Of course your moments won't be caught on camera, and that's not the point.
Just the small things we do in our lives can make the difference between an American and a great one.
It’s something to think about.
