Flags adorn gravesites. Image from Flickr.com
WPRO Newsroom and the Associated Press
A Rhode Island woman and her husband went to a cemetery in Middletown and found numerous small American flags that had adorned gravesites dumped in a trash bin.
Virginia DelNero told The Newport Daily News that she and her husband, David, went to the St. Columba Cemetery last Saturday to visit both their fathers' graves and noticed that flags were missing from many veterans' graves. She said they found more than a dozen flags that looked new in a trash bin at the rear of the cemetery. The Veterans of Foreign Wars says American flags must be folded and burned completely in a ceremonial fire.
The Office of Catholic Cemeteries released a statement Thursday saying they regret the incident. They said incident serves as a reminder to all employees about the proper disposal of American flags, and said it was likely the error of uninformed employees:
"During the summer months, the office hires a number of younger individuals who may not be fully informed of the significance of such matters. Out of respect for the many veterans and their family members who visit and are interred in a Catholic Cemetery, office policy follows a strict protocol relative to ‘unserviceable’ American flags. According to leading veterans’ organizations such as The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, the approved proper disposal method is to burn the flags, a protocol the office strictly follows."
Both the DelNeros' fathers were World War II veterans.
