Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration confirmed Monday, that a large American flag and a number of smaller flags were stolen from a Southern California veterans cemetery over Memorial Day weekend.
Les’ Melnyk, a spokesperson for the VA’s National Cemetery Administration, said the garrison flag at Los Angeles National Cemetery was reported stolen at some point late Sunday or early Monday, according to The Associated Press.
Melnyk said that the gates of the cemetery were closed during the crime.
Melnyk added that Veterans Affairs police are looking into the incident involving the massive flag, which is 25 feet by 30 feet.
The theft “cannot detract in the slightest way from the honor and respect we pay on this Memorial Day to those servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,” Melnyk said.
Rebekah Adams, who volunteers at the Los Angeles National Cemetery Support Foundation, said it would be hard to take the flag from its position since it is typically carried by three people, the AP reported.
“It’s so sad and shocking something like this would happen on Memorial Day,” Adams said.
Memorial Day Weekend 2021 saw support from many sides of the aisle as Americans took the weekend to remember and honor the fallen members of the United States military.
As The Daily Wire reported, Chris Pratt wrote a long Instagram message in which he recalled the many soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the service of this nation.
“America’s exceptional armed forces have altered the course of the world for the better. From the Union Army defeating slave-owning confederates to the Greatest Generation and her Allies vanquishing the Nazis or our special operators hunting down the perpetrators of 9/11. We count the names of each fallen soldier lest they be countless. They are the good guys. They run to the sound of gunfire. They know pain and suffering we never will,” Pratt said.
“Pratt then scolded those who may wish to bemoan America in the comments, reminding them that they would be put in prison if they criticized the government in other countries,” The Daily Wire noted.
Vice President Kamala Harris, however, received backlash over a tweet she released for Memorial Day Weekend.
“Enjoy the long weekend,” Harris wrote along with her own picture, The Daily Wire reported.
Enjoy the long weekend. pic.twitter.com/ilGOrod4AW
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 29, 2021
“Remember when Biden & Harris promised all that ‘dignity’ if they won?” Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked.
Remember when Biden & Harris promised all that “dignity” if they won? https://t.co/58m1EiQEcj https://t.co/rCciSqbjmZ
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 29, 2021
“…and pay tribute to the courageous men and women of our nation’s military who sacrificed their lives in defense of our freedoms and liberties,” tweeted Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY).
…and pay tribute to the courageous men and women of our nation’s military who sacrificed their lives in defense of our freedoms and liberties. #MemorialDay2021 https://t.co/9QUwwuhqHe
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) May 29, 2021
“This is unreal,” wrote Newsmax contributor and retired U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant Jessie Jane Duff. “No regard or gratitude for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation. Could you possibly be more obtuse, @VP?”
This is unreal.
No regard or gratitude for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation.
Could you possibly be more obtuse, @VP?#MemorialDay #MemorialDayWeekend #Freedom https://t.co/QtgwGZpwLG
— Jessie Jane Duff (@JessieJaneDuff) May 29, 2021
After receiving criticism for the initial tweet, Harris put out another tweet that commemorated the holiday on Sunday.
“Throughout our history, our service men (sic) and women have risked everything to defend our freedoms and our country. As we prepare to honor them on Memorial Day, we remember their service and their sacrifice,” Harris wrote in the Sunday post, as reported by The Daily Wire.
Throughout our history our service men and women have risked everything to defend our freedoms and our country. As we prepare to honor them on Memorial Day, we remember their service and their sacrifice.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 30, 2021