“We were in such admiration for how these boys went above and beyond to respect our nation’s flag!” Reallan tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I posted it on my Facebook because it has such a powerful message that needed to be seen.”

VIRAL IMAGE: Boy keeps American flag from touching ground

After the American flag almost scraped the ground, this young boy decided to lay underneath it to protect it

Now, the three boys, Jack LeBrick, Casey Dolan, and Naylan Tuttle, are being widely recognized for treating the flag with such respect — something that they learned from their custodian Mac McCarty, according to KHQ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Spokane, Wash., which also serves northern Idaho.

“This is our nation’s flag, our school’s flag. It’s how we represent our country,” LeBrick told the news outlet. “If you let it touch the ground, it means you disrespect our country.”

McCarty, who is a 20-year veteran of the United States Air Force, has taught students how to properly fold and store the American flag. After watching LeBrick place himself on the ground to protect it, McCarty expressed how proud he was of all three of the boys. But he wasn’t the only one who would be.

“I think it would be honorable for me, for my dad, and my grandfather,” Naylan Tuttle said of his own family members. “They’ve been in the service in the military, so I think I’d probably make them proud.”

Plenty of people in the community also had something to say in response to KHQ’s Facebook post sharing Reallan’s photo.

“So unbelievably proud of these young men! Way to show America how it’s done. Bravo kiddos,” one person said. While another added, “This is refreshing to see and the parents of these boys should be proud, you’re doing a great job raising the future men of our country.”

And while some tried to make the conversation more political, most agreed that the act was simply a “job well done.”

“The pure simple act of showing respect for our nation’s flag coming from a child has touch thousands of lives,” Reallan concluded:

 “How we conduct ourselves daily can affect others even when we are not aware that we are!”