Owner, police ask for Stars and Stripes’ anonymous return
MORGAN HILL
When a thief stole the American flag from a lighted pole in the front yard of Donald Holmes’ house, it’s likely he or she did not realize the emotional investment the he has in the memento.
The flag, which Holmes, 63, flew Veterans Day and left up was stolen Saturday. It was draped on his father’s casket when he died in April 2004. Sherman Holmes was a World War II veteran.
A Vietnam veteran himself, Holmes said he considered, as he hung the flag, whether or not it was a wise idea.
“But then I thought, ‘who’s going to steal a flag?’ ” he said. “Especially in these times, when we have people overseas.”
Morgan Hill police Chief Bruce Cumming said his department is doing everything possible to recover Holmes’ flag.
“We take these things personally,” he said. “There are some incidents that really strike a chord with the officers, and this is one of them.”
Cumming said he doubted if the person who took the flag realized its significance.
“It was a careless and thoughtless act by somebody, and they need to do the right thing and bring the flag back,” he said. “It’s not worth anything to them.”
Though the experience of losing the flag has been painful, Holmes said the unfortunate theft has illustrated how caring the Morgan Hill community is.
“The outpouring of sensitivity, of concern and caring has touched me almost as much as the loss of the flag,” he said.
Holmes hopes that whoever took the flag will return it, even anonymously. He is not interested in retribution.
“When I talked to my priest about it, we talked about focusing on forgiveness and mercy, not justice,” he said. “Justice is not our job.”
A resident of Morgan Hill for 31 years and the oldest of four siblings, Holmes said, he was entrusted with its care since his mother is also deceased.
“I guess I didn’t do a very good job,” he said ruefully.
Cumming believes there is someone who knows something about the theft, and he said they also need to “do the right thing” and come forward, even if they pass along information anonymously.
“This is so out of character for Morgan Hill,” he said.
The flag may be returned anonymously, Cumming said, either to the Morgan Hill Police Department, 16200 Vineyard Boulevard, or to Holmes’ house on Diana Avenue. Anyone with information can call 779-2101.
