Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Fenton Police are reportedly investigating more than two dozen U.S. flags stolen from veteran gravesites at the St. John cemetery off Adelaide Street.

Wayne Peterson, a Vietnam veteran, post commander of the Fenton VFW and captain of the honor guard, told the Tri-County Times approximately 30 flags have been stolen from the cemetery in June.

“It’s a disgrace,” Peterson said. He filed a written complaint with the Fenton Police Department, which is investigating the situation and doing additional patrols in the area at night.

Peterson said he’s been placing flags on veterans’ gravesites for 10 years and he’s never had this issue. He’s placed about 300 flags on veteran gravesites at this cemetery.

Peterson suspects that a kid or multiple kids go into the cemetery at night and take the flags. He said even though there are veteran gravesites throughout the cemetery, flags are only taken from the south western section.

“We need to let parents know what’s going on. I don’t know what the kids are doing with the flags,” he said, adding that the perpetrator is leaving the stick/stand and only taking the flag.

The Vietnam veteran is working on replacing the flags, which are paid for by the city of Fenton.

“It’s my job to make sure these veterans get their stuff…these flags,” he said.

Whoever is stealing these is disrespecting veterans, people who served the country by going to war, Peterson said.

“I’d like to see it stop. That’s all. It’s a waste of city money, really,” he said.

This story was first reported by Tri-County Times linked below.