Soldier stands at attention in the pouring rain to salute a funeral procession

A touching photo of a soldier who got out of his car and stood at attention in the driving rain to pay his respects to a funeral procession is stirring some major patriotic sentiment on the internet.

Erin Hester snapped the image of the unidentified soldier in Vine Grove, Kentucky on July 6.  She posted the image on Facebook and Instagram with a message about how moved she was to see a soldier going above and beyond the call of duty.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Firefighters pause fight against wildfire to save American flag from flames
• Man builds 'Blessing Box' food pantry in yard to feed the hungry
• Man trapped in ATM passes notes through receipt slot begging for help

"I was so completely touched by this today. A funeral procession was passing by and this soldier got out of his Jeep to stand at attention in the pouring rain..." Hester wrote. "I feel pretty confident that there isn't a military rule that soldiers have to do this. This made my heart happy to see the amount of respect that this gentleman showed a family that he doesn't even know. #values #respect."

The photo clearly struck a chord: Since July 6, Hester's Facebook post has been shared nearly 130,000 times.

In a message to WSB-TV, Hester shared one big reason why the soldier's sweet gesture meant so much to her: Her grandfather is a WWII vet who now lives in Dunwoody, Georgia.

Cox Media Group