Army Vet Runs with American Flag, Red, White & Blue Tutu to Honor Fallen Heroes

Monica Sanchez | September 20, 2017
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Tutuman

Image via Twitter

An Army veteran runs every “Fly the Flag Friday” sporting a red, white and blue tutu and carrying an American flag to remind others of the sacrifice our fallen heroes have made to protect it.  

Robert Woldhuis – or “Tutuman” – runs every Friday in Wyoming, Mich., with an American flag to remind people “busy with their lives and busy with everyday stuff” that “a lot of people have died for this flag," reports Fox 17 West Michigan.

"The flag is a very important thing for me,” Woldhuis said. "The carrying the flag on Fly the Flag Friday is just getting people that are busy with their lives and busy with everyday stuff to stop for just one second and realize that a lot of people have died for this flag. A lot of people have sacrificed so much for this flag and if they just see this for one second and they remember that, then it's worth it."

And the tutu?

"This is just about getting people to laugh, smile a little bit and have a good time and just be in the moment," he said.

Woldhouis, now training for a 50 mile race, said he started wearing the tutu when he got a positive reaction from spectators during a race in 2014.

"People smiled and engaged with me as I was running by and I thought, you know what, something this simple brings a little bit of joy and a little bit of light into someone's life, then absolutely I'm all about doing it," he explained.

Ten years ago, Woldhuis lost his two oldest sons in a car accident. Struggling with his loss, he fell into drug use and got into trouble with the law.

Woldhuis turned his life around through running.

"I decided I needed to get my life together," he said. "I'm not honoring anybody's memory by doing the things that I'm doing. I'm not living to my full potential."

"Sobriety for me is very important and running goes hand and hand with that," Woldhuis said.

He told Fox 17 that he hopes to inspire others with his story, or at the very least bring a smile to their faces.

"Every day is a gift," Woldhuis said. "Just to be able to bring a little bit of joy and happiness into somebody's life at this point knowing where I was 10 years ago is a blessing to me."

For more, check out the Fox 17 report below. 

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