On a breezy March 5 morning, with wind gusts at times exceeding 50 miles per hour, City of Broken Arrow Street Department employee David Heard was carrying out his daily work routine driving a street sweeper truck.
He's lived in Broken Arrow for 36 years and has worked in the Streets and Stormwater Department for nine of those years. His street sweeping duties include all areas south of Washington Street, both east and west.
"There's a lot to do. I have about four-square miles of neighborhoods to do each month, and I go through each neighborhood at least two times a year," he said.
Working for the City of Broken Arrow is rewarding, he continued.
"I see grass and leaves piled up along the curbline, and when I'm done, I can drive away knowing it looks better than when I got there," Heard said. "Yes, cleaning up and leaving it better is satisfying. It's great to make an impact."
But on this day, while driving through the Seven Oaks addition between Lynn Lane and County Line Road, Heard stopped to do some paperwork, and it wasn't just grass and leaves that he saw on the ground.
As he glanced in his rear-view mirror, he saw an American flag blowing in the wind in a resident’s yard. Heard immediately turned his truck around and went to pick up the flag.
"I stopped and got out and thought maybe I could get it back on the flag holder, but it was up pretty high, and it looked like the holder was damaged, like maybe the wind had torn it up," he said.
Heard picked up the Betsy Ross U.S. Flag and rolled it around the flagpole as he approached the porch. The Betsy Ross flag is an early design of the U.S. flag that features 13 red and white stripes, and 13 stars arranged in a circle.
"The flag is a symbol of our country," Heard said. "It's a symbol of freedom and strength. I wanted to make sure it wasn't lying on the ground."
As he was doing this act of service, he was caught on video by the resident's Ring Doorbell camera. You can see Heard in his caution yellow jacket gently rolling up the flag in the video as the wind blows.
He rings the doorbell and hears an automated message saying, "We can't answer the door right now. But if you'd like to leave a message, you can do it right now."
"Hello, my name is David," he says, "And I work for the City of Broken Arrow. I run a street sweeper. As I was going through your neighborhood, I saw that your flag fell off your flagpole outside. I'm just going to roll it up and stand it over in the corner. Have a good day!"
He then placed the flag near the front door of the house's covered walkway and returned to his truck.
"I'm just a patriotic guy; I see a flag on the ground; it needs to be picked up," Heard said. "It's not supposed to be on the ground."
The homeowner, Roger Tylkowski shared the Ring Doorbell video on the Neighbors app and said, "The City of BA has a real patriot working for them. The wind broke my flagpole, and Dave saw it lying in the driveway and picked up Old Glory. Thank you, Dave."
Then, City of Broken Arrow Compensation Coordinator Shannon Newby, who lives nearby, happened to see the video on her Neighbors app. She reported it to the City Manager's office, believing Heard should be acknowledged for his efforts on behalf of Broken Arrow residents and for honoring Old Glory.
Heard was recognized for his service at the Broken Arrow City Council meeting on March 18.
"I didn't expect the attention; I didn't do it for that purpose," Heard said. "It was just simply to get the flag off the ground, but I don't feel like a hero or anything."
Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes they are dressed in a caution yellow jacket.
Watch the video below on YouTube.
|
