Monroe VFW post has American flags pulled out, thrown in a pile next to dumpster

MONROE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Vietnam War veteran Dan Burchfield was livid when he saw the surveillance video of people pulling out all the American flags that surrounded the VFW Post 1138 in Monroe.

"I put in 3 years is blood sweat and tears to defend that flag," he said. "That's just disrespect."

All those flags were discovered over by the dumpster Thursday morning.

Al Bond is the commander of the post and frustrated the lights on the building are set to go off at 2 a.m. This happened about 10 minutes after 5 a.m.

He’s been looking at the dark, grainy video over and over. The hairstyle of the suspects, wearing pigtails, made him think the vandals were girls or women. He posted about what happened on the VFWs Facebook page

Grainy security video is all they have to go on at the VFW hall where their American flags were pulled out and thrown by the dumpster.

"My phone has been going off the hook, ringing, text messages, calls here to the post," Bond said. "And then I get an anonymous phone call from a local business owner who said they had seen them in their store, these three individuals, and that they were males dressed up like females."

And while some may think who cares it’s just a harmless prank - the men we spoke with will tell you otherwise.

"For us veterans who fought whether in peacetime or combat it doesn’t matter - that is what we lived under, the flag," said Robert Cebina.

"I wouldn’t want to press charges but they need to learn a lesson, we’ve all paid our dues, we’re all war veterans, don’t direspect us," said Burchfield.

This pile of flags was found next to the dumpster at the VFW post.

"We don’t want to burden the police, they’ve got bigger things to worry about - hopefully, the community will come together to help us figure this one out," Bond said.