AMU Military

Atten-Hut! Army Reservist Stops Pole Vault to Honor US Flag Ceremony

WordBy InMilitary Staff

While sordid tales of US Swimmer Ryan Lochte’s Rio partying habits continue to dominate the news cycle – a new headline is emerging from the Olympic Games that captures the essence of what it means to compete in honor of one’s country. And this patriotic moment comes courtesy of Olympic pole vaulter and US Army Reservist Sam Kendricks. At age 23, this Ole Miss alum and Second Lieutenant, was accelerating in his run up to ascend the pole vault standard, when suddenly he heard the U.S. national anthem played out over the speakers during a medal ceremony. So what did he do? He abandoned his attempt at a full clip just at the end of the runway, dropped his pole (which is commonly a “no-no” to protect the equipment), and stood at attention during the remainder of the Star Spangled Banner.

https://youtu.be/PechzO5LASs

 

Kendricks

Kendricks went on to win the bronze medal in the men’s pole vault event.  Video footage of this moment of patriotism is making its rounds on social media and serves as a testament to some of the

Wes O'Donnell

Wes O’Donnell is an Army and Air Force veteran and writer covering military and tech topics. As a sought-after professional speaker, Wes has presented at U.S. Air Force Academy, Fortune 500 companies, and TEDx, covering trending topics from data visualization to leadership and veterans’ advocacy. As a filmmaker, he directed the award-winning short film, “Memorial Day.”

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