Published July 26, 2008 05:31 am - CONNEAUT — Military veterans in Conneaut are outraged by the theft of seven flags that once graced a high-level bridge on the city’s east side.
Flags stolen from Conneaut bridge
By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com Star Beacon
CONNEAUT — Military veterans in Conneaut are outraged by the theft of seven flags that once graced a high-level bridge on the city’s east side.
The flags were ripped down from lamp posts that lined the Route 20 viaduct over Conneaut Creek, said Paul Nelson, adjutant and sergeant-at-arms for American Legion Cowle Post 151.
The flags were among 18 banners installed on the bridge this year by Legion members.
“We worked very hard on those flags,” Nelson said. “This really upsets us.”
A veteran who helped erect the flags discovered the theft Friday morning and contacted police, he said.
In addition to three American flags, separate banners bearing the insignias of the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard — as well as the POW-MIA logo — were stolen, Nelson said. Hardware and brackets to hang the flags are also missing, he said.
“It looks like (the thieves) were trying to get flags from all the branches of the military,” Nelson said.
People with information regarding the theft or the whereabouts of the flags are asked to contact the Legion post (593-2205) or the police department (593-7440). All calls will be kept confidential, Nelson said.
“We just want the flags back,” he said. “The cost doesn’t matter. (The theft) is an insult to our veterans and our country.”
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