Battle On The Home Front: Flags Stolen From Veteran Twice In One Week
By: Gina Benitez
Updated: July 12, 2012
A man who spent more than two decades serving the country is now battling crooks who have been stealing the emblem of his patriotic pride.
He's served this country, but now faces a battle on the home front. Local veteran Ralph Franklin has lived in Tuscola for over 30 years and just now, for unknown reasons, is the victim of a petty, irritating crime.
To call Ralph Franklin patriotic would be sort of an understatement.
"I love flags and I love to fly my flags," says Franklin.
He's a veteran who's served twenty years and a retiree living on a quiet Tuscola street. But this morning Franklin awoke to something unexpected.
Franklin says, "I got up at 4:30 and the flag was gone."
Not just one flag, but three -- and this wasn't the first time either.
"Three flags total two times, so they stole a total of six flags," says Franklin.
The initial theft happened July 3rd, just a day before America's independence is celebrated.
Franklin adds, "A flag is just precious to me. And for someone to come along and steal my pride and joy, that's just not good business."
He filed a report with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office but more than anything, he wants to get the word out -- to prevent this from happening to anybody else.
"That flag, you know, represents our country and the men that's died for this country and then we have people come along and steal them that has nothing else to do and that's not right," says Franklin.
The flags stolen were American flags, state flags and wind socks. Franklin will be replacing those flags, once again, just taking them down each night, so the thieves won't be targeting them any longer.
He's served this country, but now faces a battle on the home front. Local veteran Ralph Franklin has lived in Tuscola for over 30 years and just now, for unknown reasons, is the victim of a petty, irritating crime.
To call Ralph Franklin patriotic would be sort of an understatement.
"I love flags and I love to fly my flags," says Franklin.
He's a veteran who's served twenty years and a retiree living on a quiet Tuscola street. But this morning Franklin awoke to something unexpected.
Franklin says, "I got up at 4:30 and the flag was gone."
Not just one flag, but three -- and this wasn't the first time either.
"Three flags total two times, so they stole a total of six flags," says Franklin.
The initial theft happened July 3rd, just a day before America's independence is celebrated.
Franklin adds, "A flag is just precious to me. And for someone to come along and steal my pride and joy, that's just not good business."
He filed a report with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office but more than anything, he wants to get the word out -- to prevent this from happening to anybody else.
"That flag, you know, represents our country and the men that's died for this country and then we have people come along and steal them that has nothing else to do and that's not right," says Franklin.
The flags stolen were American flags, state flags and wind socks. Franklin will be replacing those flags, once again, just taking them down each night, so the thieves won't be targeting them any longer.
