Oscar-winner Jon Voight’s humble act of wiping the rain off of chairs reserved for Gold Star family members was captured on video and has since gone viral.

Michael Hahn posted the video this week and wrote, “While Hollywood Elites protested President @realDonaldTrump’s ‘Salute to America’ on July 4th… Here’s a video of John Voight cleaning the rain off seats for Gold Star families. This is what it’s all about!”

And sure enough, there is the 80-year-old Jon Voight holding a roll of paper towels and working with other volunteers to dry off the chairs that would soon be occupied by Americans who have sacrificed so much.

I’ve never seen anything like this that wasn’t a photo-op…

You know, Jon Voight is one of about 80 human beings to have ever won the Best Actor Oscar, and did so for his unforgettable work in Hal Ashby’s Coming Home, in which he portrayed a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran filled with rage and disillusionment. Also nominated that year were Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, and Laurence Olivier.

In the decades since, Vought’s been nominated twice more by the Motion Picture Academy, including as recently as 2002. Additionally, he has won four Golden Globes and four Emmy nominations, two in the last five years for his starring role in the popular and critically-acclaimed Ray Donovan.

My point in laying out Mr. Voight’s résumé is to remind everyone that he is not only a Hollywood legend, he is still at the top of his game, and… movie stars don’t wipe rain off of anyone’s chairs.

You see, their job is to limousine in, walk the red carpet, soak in the applause, be told how great they are, shake a few hands, pose for a few selfies, sign a few autographs, and retire to a Green Room filled with gourmet food and a $25,000 gift bag.

But here’s Jon Voight, here’s Joe Buck, here’s Ed from Deliverance and Luke Martin and Manny and Woodrow Call and Jim Phelps and Franklin Roosevelt and Howard Cosell and George Washington and Mickey Freakin’ Donovan honoring the families of the fallen in the most humble way possible when there are no television cameras around.

This is what patriotism looks like.

Despite my cynicism regarding all things Hollywood, there are plenty of well-intended famous folks on the left and right who give up a lot of their personal time and money to help others; I’ve just never seen anything like this.

 

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