VIDEO: Kid's Salute Turns Cymbal Crash Into Symbolic Victory

By Mark Memmott

Published June 4, 2013 at 7:10 AM EDT

There may be no better way to start the day than with this video that's going viral.

At Eisenhower Junior High School in Darien, Ill., last month, the school band was playing the national anthem. Thirteen-year-old percussionist Andrew Pawelczyk was clashing his cymbals at all the appropriate moments.

Then, one of his straps broke. Andrew's right cymbal fell to the floor.

For a moment, Andrew tells CNN, he thought about running to get a replacement cymbal. But then he came up with a great idea.

He stood and saluted the flag.

Watch and see how it all played out. The crash comes at about the 1:05 mark.

Mark Memmott

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.

See stories by Mark Memmott

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