Still Winning Salutes

Flag-saving moment still winning salutes, is USA Today writer Bob Nightengale's story posted today at USA Today.com, in the Sports section’s Baseball page. It tells of Rick Monday, playing outfielder for the Chicago Cubs at the Dodger Stadium in L.A. in April 25, 1976, when two people jumped over the railing in left field and tried to burn the American flag on the turf. Running from center field, Monday grabbed the flag and carried it to safety.

Nightengale begins his account:

The hand was trembling, the voice was quivering…tears were running down his face.

The World War II soldier, who survived the Pearl Harbor attack, looked Rick Monday in the eyes, slowly raised his right arm, and saluted him.

"Thank you," Monday recalls the soldier telling him last year. "And thank you from all of my shipmates."

Thirty years ago today, Monday became an American hero.

It was the day he saved the American flag.

Read the whole story.

Monday’s act was voted recently by the Hall of Fame as one of the 100 classic moments in the history of the game.