Homeless Patriot

EL PASO, Texas -- There is typically an American flag that flies high in front of METI Inc., a federal contractor in East El Paso. But instead, the flag is lying flat inside and the flag pole is on the ground outside after a storm last Sunday.

"The wind and the rain knocked over the flag pole, causing the flag pole to lie on the parking lot overlooking Boeing Drive," said Rebecca Orozco with METI Inc.
But it is the condition in which employees found Old Glory that shocked everyone, until they checked their surveillance video.

"After watching the surveillance videos we noticed that it was a good Samaritan who we suspect was a homeless man that came to the rescue of the flag around 1:40 in the morning," Orozco told KFOX.
In the surveillance video you can see the homeless man in driving rain and wind carefully folding up the American flag military style and then placing the flag pole off to the side.

"It was an amazing experience to see that, it was very heartwarming to see that a homeless man or a good Samaritan who was walking around that area at that time of the day in the rain will come to the rescue of the U.S. flag," said Orozco.

Orozco said she wouldn't expect that kind of act in a late night storm from anyone, especially someone who has so little to give.

"Knowing that so many people have turned their back on him, he never turned his back on this country," she said.
KFOX found the man who didn't turn his back on the flag. His name is Gustus Bozarth.

"It's a small respect, folding the flag like that," said Bozarth.
He lives in the back of a warehouse just feet from the flag he saved. His only comforts are a small television and his two loyal cats named Lynx and Bobcat.

Bozarth said he's roamed all over this country, and while working security in Tampa he learned how to properly fold the flag.

Despite being homeless, he still has so much love for his country and so much respect for his flag.
"For American freedoms, freedom for America, freedom for a lot of Americans," Bozarth told KFOX.

"A homeless man who has nothing at all, he still holds on to his flag, he still holds on to the hope of his country, and that to me says a million words," said Orozco.
METI Inc. officials hope to have the flag back up as soon as possible.

This is a great story! I wanted to use this story in my blog about how this is the kind of patriotism, love of country that is instilled in Americans, or some at least. This kind of patriotism cannot be taught, but is learned through being an American. This man was homeless and maybe completely down on his luck but his respect for the Flag and country is something no government could teach. Americans all over the country are trying to help this guy, which, shows that Americans are the most giving people and will help our “neighbors” without any government intervention. The photo above is not of the man in the story, but I still thought it was riveting.