National

Torn, tattered flags found in piles at cemetery

EXETER, R.I. — As the Fourth of July approaches, the sight of the red, white and blue flying over the graves of those soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice becomes more common, especially in veterans cemeteries.

Stan Sniezyk visits his father's grave every week at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery. As he looked around, he noticed something was missing.%

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And that’s when he saw a heap of torn and tattered flags in a nearby dumpster and then another pile in an open storage shed.

"It just broke my heart, because everyone in this cemetery fought under that banner and every fiber of that flag is their blood, sweat and tears,"

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Photos of the piles of flags went viral, sparking outrage -- especially among veterans.

"I've been getting messages from California, Texas, Connecticut, Florida," Sniezyk said. "People are absolutely outraged at what they've done, how they've disgraced the American flag in a veterans cemetery of all places."

One of the people who saw the photos was Kasim Yarn, the state's new director of veterans affairs. He said he went right to the cemetery to see what was going on.

"I was speechless when I saw,"

. "Flags were not stowed properly and prepared for proper disposal. Flags were in bags, on the ground. The place was a mess, totally. Procedures weren't being followed."

“It just broke my heart because everyone in this cemetery fought under that banner and every fiber of that flag is their blood, sweat, and tears.”

Posted by WPRI 12 on Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Yarn said he has implemented updated policies to make sure in the future that flags are properly folded and stored, as well as a new inspection process at the cemetery.

Sniezyk says even though changes are being made, he’s still going to keep a watchful eye on the cemetery.

"At very minimum, I will go there weekly and walk around," Sniezyk said. "I will open up all those doors, every facility, to ensure things are being placed in a proper manner."

Meantime, the flags in the photos have been properly burned and the cemetery has gotten a permit from a local fire department to properly dispose of the flags in the future.