A soldier was surprised by a flash mob while shopping at the mall with this family. The touching performance was put together by the UMCA, and it completely stunned the unexpecting soldier.
The United Military Communities of America was formerly known as The Army’s Army. Their main goal is “to make soldiers, veterans and their families feel welcome, appreciated and safe,” according to their website.
The group of volunteers in Fayetteville, NC wanted to pay tribute to a local soldier in the community as their way of saying ‘thank you’ for the untold sacrifices soldiers make by leaving their families behind to serve.
The surprise performance of “America the Beautiful” confused the soldier at first, but after realizing it was all for him — he was overwhelmed.
This well-known, patriotic song has a history that many people aren’t aware of. An English professor at Wellesley College named Katharine Lee Bates originally wrote the lyrics of the historical song as lyrics to a poem.
Bates was traveling from Massachusetts to Colorado and was taken aback by the beauty of the country. The poem was later discovered by Grace Episcopal Church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward who would turn it into the song we know and love today.
The UMCA thought the song was the perfect way to say ‘thank you’ for protecting our beautiful and diverse country. It’s sacrifices made by soldiers like him that allow us to celebrate and enjoy all of our freedoms.
In addition to organizing surprise ‘thank yous’ like this one, the UMCA also carries out many other activities to honor the U.S. military. Ride to Honor, Heroes Homecoming, 31 Days Salute, Heroes Thank you and Children of the Fallen Project are a few of these incredible projects.
People from all different backgrounds and varying ages joined in to honor the Fayetteville soldier. At first, the soldier seems a bit confused as to why all of these people were singing. The unsuspecting strangers at the mall probably felt the same way. But soon, it’s made apparent that the performance was all for him.
Spectators that weren’t involved in the flash mob surprise stopped to take pictures of the beautiful moment and soldier’s reaction.
The United States is more divided than ever before, so it’s incredibly touching to see random acts of kindness like this one. No matter what all of our differences may be, we can always find some common ground.
The impromptu ‘thank you and salute’ below has been viewed over 4.5 million times. Thank you to all the men and women of the military for your service.
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