Two University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students, Guillermo Estrada and Alex Jones, received the Award for Courage at the sixth annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards. This recognition stems from an incident earlier this year where they, alongside their fraternity brothers, protected the American flag during a campus protest.

During nationwide campus protests, the fraternity brothers at UNC-Chapel Hill garnered national attention for their patriotic act. The incident involved pro-Palestinian protesters attempting to replace the American flag, which was flying at half-mast in honor of fallen Charlotte officers, with a Palestinian flag. Estrada and Jones, along with others, intervened to prevent the American flag from being taken down and potentially destroyed.

At the awards ceremony, Estrada spoke about the significance of the American flag, emphasizing that it represents the hope and promise of liberty and prosperity that drew his parents to the United States. Jones echoed this sentiment, connecting his actions to his family's history and the opportunities America represents.

The original incident unfolded in two stages. First, protesters successfully replaced the American flag with a Palestinian flag. UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts, with the support of law enforcement, restored the American flag. A second attempt to remove the flag was met by resistance from the fraternity brothers and other students, leading to a tense standoff involving verbal abuse and thrown objects. A GoFundMe campaign launched to celebrate the fraternities involved raised over half a million dollars.

The Chapel Hill protests were part of a larger series of demonstrations at universities across the country related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Estrada invited those who question the flag's meaning to engage with families like his and Jones's to understand its true significance. The students were honored alongside other award recipients, including President-elect Donald Trump, who received the Patriot of the Year award.