WATCH: Man Vandalizes Town's 'Parade Of Flags' For Veterans Day
WOOSTER, Ohio (CBS Local) -- Just as America was honoring its military veterans, a man was caught on camera ruining a Veterans Day flag display in northeast Ohio.
Surveillance video from a small business in Wooster shows the unidentified man pulling flags out of the ground and throwing them onto the ground. The video is dated Nov. 6, five days before Veterans Day.
"It disturbed me badly," U.S. Army veteran Jim Fields told CBS affiliate WOIO. "That is probably the most disrespectful thing you could do to people that died."
"To disgrace a flag like that is just unacceptable," said another U.S. Army veteran, BJ Long.
Wooster man destroys Veteran's Day display by removing flags and throwing them on the groundhttps://t.co/CCE2XLz91h
— Cleveland 19 News (@cleveland19news) November 12, 2019
Fields says he's proud of Wooster Rotary Club's Parade of Flags event, when nearly 2,000 American flags are put out around town before Veterans Day and four other holidays, including Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Patriot Day.
"If you don't like this country, if you don't like that flag, find another place to live, but don't disrespect the flag or the people that served under it," Fields said.
The business owner said he did not make a police report in this case. However, the Rotary Club treasurer said people have faced charges in similar cases in the past.
"I just find it very very disrespectful," Fields said. "And actually whoever done it, they should be sought out and prosecuted for it."