Multiple American Flags Vandalized In Richardson On July 4
RICHARDSON (CBSDFW.COM) – On Friday, John Partlow grasped his American flag and shook his head. "It's just a disgrace," the Richardson grandfather said. "It makes me mad."
Partlow fought for his county in the Air Force during Vietnam and he's not afraid to show it. His huge flag, which he says his darling wife got him for Father's Day last year, was his pride and joy.
"I'm 69 years old and this is my flag and it's everybody's flag in America," said Partlow, looking right at it.
Sometime late on July 4 into early July 5, someone painted a black symbol right in the middle of Partlow's flag.
"It's a slap in the face for all Americans as far as I'm concerned," he said.
His neighbor is just as disappointed and distraught. Someone burned her flag.
"No respect! Just yanked it off and did what they wanted to with it," said Veronica Guzman, who has owned the flag for three years.
About a dozen flags were either painted on or burned in the neighborhood near Spring Valley Road in Richardson.
"I can always hear it waving and that morning I didn't hear it," says Guzman. "I said, 'where is the flag?' I went outside and said 'oh what is going on?' I stepped outside and there is my flag on the ground and burned.'"
Guzman's husband is a veteran too.
He served in the Navy and is out of town for work. She hasn't had the heart to tell him about what happened to their flag.
"It brought me to tears and I didn't know if I was angry, sad," Guzman said. "I can't imagine what it will do to him."'
Richardson Police are still searching for the vandals. If you have any information or video, you're asked to call police.
"The monetary value is nothing, but the patriotic value is all to me," says Partlow.
