Vietnam Vet's Emotional Anthem Clash at Cubs Game: What Sparked the Viral Slap?

The baseball fan caught on camera slapping another spectator for sitting during the national anthem has spoken out. Robert "Bob" Chavez went viral after footage showed him confronting a younger fan before a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field. In the clip, Chavez repeatedly asked a younger fan to stand while the Star-Spangled Banner was playing. After the man remained seated, Chavez was seen hitting him on the back of the head before the younger fan eventually stood. The incident took place at a Chicago Cubs game. Credit: Justin Berl / Getty The footage quickly went viral, with reactions split over both Chavez's actions and whether fans should be expected to stand during the anthem. One person described Chavez as an "absolute patriot," while another wrote: "As much as I agree with the older gentleman…we don't hit other people." A third commenter said: "Respect for the anthem should never come [through] violence." Vietnam veteran explains why he confronted fan Speaking to Inside Edition, Chavez said his experiences serving in Vietnam influenced his emotional reaction. "I was telling him, 'Please stand up,' you know, 'have some respect,'" he said. However, he admitted he regretted striking the fan. "Because even though I fought in Vietnam and I had buddies killed, we fight for the rights of the people, and that's one of his rights." Chavez added that if he had the chance, he would take back the slap. The viral video ended before showing what happened next, but Chavez said the encounter ultimately ended on friendly terms. "Later on, during the game, next thing you know, he's buying me a beer," Chavez recalled. "We talked, we shook hands...I overreacted. I could have handled it better, I wish I would have...But my feelings are the same, people should stand." According to TMZ , security staff responded to the incident, but the younger fan reportedly asked that Chavez not be removed from the stadium. Cubs release statement The Chicago Cubs later confirmed that security officers spoke with the fan who had been hit. In a statement , the team said: "The National Anthem is an important tradition at Chicago Cubs games." It continued: "While we respect the rights of individuals to decide for themselves, we encourage every fan to stand, if they are able, and to remove their caps while the anthem is being played." The Cubs added that fan safety remained their priority: "At the same time, the safety and security of our fans is our top priority. We expect all guests to treat one another with respect and to follow our Fan Code of Conduct, which prohibits physical confrontations and threatening behavior." The statement concluded: "Our security team spoke with the fan who had been struck. He indicated that the matter had been resolved, he did not want to have anyone ejected from the ballpark or any further action taken, and we respected his wishes." NBC also reported that Chicago police said officers were never called to Wrigley Field and that no police report was filed over the incident. Featured image credit: Justin Berl / Getty