Auburn man displays new American flag after first was torched

Auburn resident Allen Tullar is not allowed to hang items from his building, but he didn’t let that stop him from displaying the American flag this Memorial Day weekend.

In fact, for the past month, he has proudly flown the red, white, and blue from his truck. His father and stepfather were veterans, and he wanted a way to reflect on their service, as well as on the ultimate sacrifice paid by those who are honored on Memorial Day.

“It’s my way of showing that I love my country — it’s not political or anything like that,” he told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “It’s mainly for my fallen brothers and sisters who fought for our freedom.”

It’s that very freedom that gives him the right to display the American flag.

RELATED: Rare find in Tacoma spreads legacy of Medal of Honor vet

But apparently, not everyone appreciates that right.

On Sunday morning, Tullar’s son told him that the flag was gone from the pickup. Unperturbed, Tullar planned to go out and buy a new one. With his usual glass-half-full approach, Tullar assumed that perhaps the thief wanted to fly the flag too, and that he had helped the person to do so.

Then Tullar noticed that the sides and back of his cab were charred, leading him to realize what had actually transpired.

“It was sickening that somebody would actually do that, burn the flag,” he said. “If it was for other reasons — political, whatever — there are other ways to voice your opinions.”

Of all weekends, Memorial Day weekend seemed especially heartless for such an action.

Tullar has no idea what the flag-burner’s motivations were, but if they were political, he said that the person was in error. His choice to fly the flag had nothing whatsoever to do with politics.

“To me, the American flag symbolizes freedom — no political party or anything like that,” he said. “It’s about freedom, and what we’ve gone through, and our struggles in our lives to get to where we’re at so people can voice their opinions.”

Luckily, a friend quickly brought Tullar a replacement.

“Within about two hours, we were flying another flag,” Tullar said. “I’m going to be flying it all week.”

He encourages everyone to fly their flag this week as a tribute to those who have given their lives. This is not just limited to Americans, but to immigrants and visitors alike.

“If you’re not from this country, fly your own flag to show respect for your own fallen,” he said.

Follow @NicoleKIROFM