The Fox network aired a tribute to the United States of America and its flag before Super Bowl LIV kicked off on Sunday. The ad featured Medal of Honor recipient Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and had Johnny Cash's "Ragged Old Flag" as its soundtrack.
The ad also features various NFL team owners praising America's military men and women.
Carpenter received the nation's highest medal for military service while he was with Company F, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1 Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010.
Then-Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were on a rooftop providing security when the enemy threw hand grenades, with one landing inside their sandbagged position. According to his citation, Carpenter landed onto of the grenades without hesitation, taking the full brunt of the blast. Against the odds, he survived and began his long road to recovery, culminating in receiving the Medal of Honor for his actions in 2014.
Throughout the video, Carpenter walks through a park surrounded by American flags and then raises a bigger American flag.
"God bless America," he says as the video ends.
The flag ad is notable because it aired before the San Francisco 49ers played against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers were the team then-backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick started his protests during the national anthem by taking a knee as it played.
The Chiefs defeated the 49ers, 31-20.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member