A Massachusetts man is being praised after he risked his life to recover the American flag that was left lying on a busy freeway during rush hour, with cars driving over it and tearing it up.

James Deely, a 33-year-old man from West-Bridgewater, was driving home from work recently when he saw an American flag attached to a pole in the middle of the northbound lane at Route 24 between exits 15 and 16. Most people drove right past it, but James said he immediately thought back to his elementary school memories of staring at the flag with a hand over his heart while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. James knew he had to do something because the flag meant so much to him.

https://t.co/akiAPMXMRV A true American! My friend James Deely. @ZeroBlog30 @barstoolsports

— Edward Schrage (@FastEddie1264) August 22, 2019

“I drove past it, just like pretty much everyone else did, and I kept going up the highway,” James said. “I was torn, [thinking], You know, I should really go back and pick it up. I thought about always seeing this flag throughout my entire journey through this crazy world. Memories that would never fade.”

James, who thinks the flag may have fallen off the back of a truck, turned his car around and switched on his hazard lights in the breakdown lane. He proceeded to wait for the next 15-20 minutes for an opportunity to grab the flag in the midst of busy rush hour traffic.

As soon as he saw a window of opportunity, James ran over to the median and grabbed the battered flag before waiting another 15 minutes for a chance to cross back to his car. He said that what he had done did not go unnoticed by his fellow drivers.

“I picked the flag up and got a lot of passersby waving, giving me the thumbs-up, and honking the horn,” James said.

Very dangerous, but a patriot nonetheless! Thank you James Deely. https://t.co/tcD5xqMZey

— W. Bridgewater Moderator (@WBModerator) August 21, 2019

James explained that the flag represents the freedom we all have as Americans as well as the people who fight for our country every day. He is planning to now have the flag professionally dry-cleaned and put it up somewhere in his home. He also hopes his actions will inspire his young son Lincoln to love our country as much as he does.

“I grew up and was raised to respect the flag and the country it stands for,” James said. “It is not something that you forget or let fall by the wayside.”