A Decatur man remained jailed Sunday on charges of desecration and theft after police say he was caught red-handed trying to steal a U.S. funeral flag that had been used to honor a veteran’s casket.
The flag is one of dozens, donated by deceased veterans’ families, that are displayed every Memorial Day weekend as part of the Avenue of Flags tribute at Graceland Cemetery.
Sgt. Daniel Wise with the Decatur Police Department said the 52-year-old man was confronted by security staff just before 1:46 a.m. Saturday after they heard him pulling the flag’s small, lightweight pole out of the ground.
“They go up to him and apparently the guy gets scared, he drops the flag in the wet grass and he tramples it while running away,” said Wise. “The flag was destroyed to the point where it can no longer be flown because it had been dropped on the ground and walked on by this guy.”
The man was caught before he could get very far, and Wise said he was held by those working security until police arrived and arrested him.
Wise said the flag was valued at more than $1,000 and had been used to honor a veteran who died in 2006.
Macon County Jail records showed the man is being held with bail set at $10,000, requiring him to post a bond of $1,000 to be freed.
Graceland Cemetery holds many veterans’ graves and is the location of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, which is the site of a commemoration service Monday.
Staff at Graceland-Fairlawn Funeral Home told the Herald & Review Sunday that problems with flag theft at the cemetery have occurred before.
“Two weeks ago they stole all of the branch flags (commemorating the various military services) and they stole our American flag,” said Amy Marshall, family service adviser. She said these flags decorate and honor the Korean War Memorial.
“We’ve had to have them all replaced and these are expensive flags. It’s pretty bold to be stealing things like this, and it’s disgusting.”
She said the funeral home keeps a careful and detailed record of every veteran’s flag donated, and a plaque on the flag pole records the veteran’s name. There are more than 170 flags on display, and they only appear over Memorial Day weekend, erected Friday and taken down Tuesday.
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