This viral post captures Houston heroes so perfectly you will cry

A viral Facebook post making the rounds on social media asks readers to pause and reflect on the unsung heroic men of Houston, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation.

“Let this sink in for a minute.....Hundreds and hundreds of small boats pulled by countless pickups and SUVs from across the South are headed for Houston. Almost all of them driven by men,” Cayman Sartin posted Friday.

“They're using their own property, sacrificing their own time, spending their own money, and risking their own lives for one reason: to help total strangers in desperate need.”

The volunteer response to help rescue people from the flooding is by all accounts overwhelming. Ordinary people set out in boats, kayaks, even refrigerators, braving hazardous conditions to try to save lives. Thousands have signed up to volunteer with the Red Cross and other disaster relief organizations. Donations are pouring in. The Cajun Navy deployed.

“Most of them are by themselves,” Sartin’s post continues. “Most are dressed like the redneck duck hunters and bass fisherman they are. Many are veterans. Most are wearing well-used gimme-hats, t-shirts, and jeans; and there's a preponderance of camo. Most are probably gun owners, and most probably voted for Trump.”

Individual Americans didn’t wait for the government to come help people before seeing a need and rising to the occasion.

“These are the people the Left loves to hate, the ones Maddow mocks. The ones Maher and Olbermann just *know* they're so much better than,” says the post. “These are The Quiet Ones. They don't wear masks and tear down statues. They don't, as a rule, march and demonstrate.”

“But they'll spend the next several days wading in cold, dirty water; dodging gators and water moccasins and fire ants; eating whatever meager rations are available; and sleeping wherever they can in dirty, damp clothes. Their reward is the tears and the hugs and the smiles from the terrified people they help. They'll deliver one boatload, and then go back for more.”

An estimated 779,000 Texans and another 7,000 Louisianans were forced to evacuate their homes as Harvey dumped 24.5 trillion gallons of water on both states. About 200,000 households are without power in Texas and another 11,000 in Louisiana. Recovery will take years. And American men will be there to help us through it.

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