When a huge fire destroyed a Vietnam veteran’s home overnight, another local veteran took action, with hopes of keeping faith.
Photojournalist Joe Cromer captured the moment a Toledo firefighter went beyond his call of duty to prevent an American flag from being consumed by the inferno on Junction Avenue on Friday.
Toledo Firefighter Allen Skomer recalled the instant he spotted the flag - and then instinct kicked in.
"I was helping one of the rookies throw a stream in between those two structures, to keep that second structure from burning," Skomer said. "That's when I noticed the colors waving with the flames behind them.
Christy Depp, friend of the homeowner, said the her friend routinely displayed and cared for the flag that flew on his house.
"That was a brand-new flag. He took the old one down and took it back and they gave him a brand new one," Depp said.