Veterans of the United States military are people who have put their lives on the line to protect the rest of our freedoms. Despite all of the sacrifices that they make for us, however, they often return home feeling unappreciated for everything that they have done. That’s why it’s so touching that a viral video has just surfaced in which some runners take the time to give a World War II veteran the respect that he deserves.

The video shows a veteran of World War II standing outside of his home in full uniform to cheer on those participating in a charity race. Though they are in the middle of the race, many of the runners can be seen making a detour to shake the veteran’s hand and thank him for his service. Their gestures of kindness make the elderly veteran beam with pride as the sacrifices he’s made for his country are finally appreciated.

The veteran just wanted to cheer on the runners, and he had no idea that they would take the time to honor him in this way. His reaction shows just how important it is for the rest of us to pay our respects to veterans whenever we have the opportunity to do so. Veterans have done so much for all of us, and they deserve nothing but our gratitude and admiration.

We would like to applaud these runners for taking giving thanks to this veteran, and we would like to thank him for his service! Check out the video for yourself below.