Local residents replace veterans' damaged American flags ahead of Memorial Day
RICHMOND, Ind. — The American flag holds a special meaning for Shawn Wright.
His father was in the U.S. Army for 20 years before retiring and passing away in 2003, and both of his sons have served in the Army as well.
His youngest is currently stationed in Texas after returning home from Poland two weeks ago and has been serving for four and a half years, while his oldest is back home after being stationed in Kentucky and serving for eight years that included time in the reserves.
So when Wright drives around the area and sees a residence displaying a torn or damaged flag, he feels he needs to do something about it.
"I don't like seeing the torn flags," he said. "These people risk their lives for our freedom, so I think the least that I can do is give them a new flag to where it's flying and that when they look outside, it's not damaged. It's new and they're proud to fly their flag."
'O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave'
Every week leading up to Memorial Day, Wright, along with his fiancée and friend, drive around Richmond and Centerville looking for damaged flags in peoples' yards to swap with brand new ones.
In the nearly 20 years since he has been replacing them shortly after his father's death, Wright estimated he has replaced between 300 to 500 flags, with many of them belonging to veterans.
"I just started with doing a couple and now I have friends that help donate flags," he said. "They don't really care for recognition, but my friend Becky Smith, as soon as I made the post, she messaged me that she was going to order some flags and then I get the addresses."
Because most people don't know about what he does, Wright said he'll just drive around and replace any flags that are ripped or damaged. Many of the homes he goes to belong to elderly veterans or veterans' widows and he often strikes up a conversation with them.
"My main thing is the veterans," he said. "So any veteran, whether they've served, or they passed away, for their family members. I have roughly 40 flags and 20 addresses, so once the veterans are taken care and if we have extra flags, we just drive around and anybody that has a ripped flag, we replace (it)."
Wright shared a story of how his father used a flag as a tourniquet to save the life of a fellow soldier while in Afghanistan. It was damaged in a house fire before a firefighter saved it, though Wright still holds onto it for its sentimental value.
"The American flag means everything," he said. "The freedom that we have nowadays, people don't realize how good we have it compared to other countries, and it's because of the ones that serve."
When he's not replacing flags, Wright operates his own lawn care business and nonprofit organization as well as doing charity work within the community.
What is done with the damaged flags?
Because there is a proper way to dispose of American flags after they've reached the end of their life span, Wright said he takes the damaged ones to VFW Kirk-Little Post 1108 at 213 S 8th St. in Richmond.
Darrell Hoskins, commander of the post effective in July, said the post along with American Legion Post 65 conducts a flag burning ceremony every December at Randy Rust's farm.
Hoskins said each year the American Legion post receives between 2,000 and 3,000 flags from all over the county to be retired, which equates to about 40 trash bags.
How can you get your flag replaced?
Wright said he'll replace American flags for anybody who contacts him on Facebook or by phone at 765-977-8113, up until Memorial Day.
"It doesn't matter if I had 200 people call me, we'll get more flags," he said.
Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Veterans have damaged American flags replaced ahead of Memorial Day
