Killeen: Soldier salutes fallen veteran in pouring rain

A Fort Hood soldier is receiving positive recognition for saluting a fallen veteran’s funeral procession in the pouring rain.

Kenneth Varnes said he was driving northbound on Highway 195 in Killeen on Friday when he noticed a funeral procession on the other side of the highway.

When he pulled over, he recognized that the procession was for a fallen veteran, so he got out of his truck and saluted until the last patrol car passed.

"This is probably going to make someone's day, seeing me stand here, and I know how it is to go through a tough time like that, and I really just did it just to make someone's day, that was it," Varnes said.

Varnes said it was pouring rain when he got out of his vehicle, but a few seconds later, the rain reduced to a drizzle.

"As soon as I got back in the truck, it poured again, which was really cool,” Varnes said.

A short time later, Varnes received multiple social media notifications, as someone had snapped a photo of him saluting in the rain.

But what many are calling an act of respect and honor, is something Varnes said he didn’t think twice about.

"I don't care if they were 80 years old, they were in World War II, they were in Vietnam, they were in Iraq, I don't care if they were 20,” Varnes said.

At one point, they all served the same country, and that’s worth recognizing.

“It’s a brotherhood,” he said.