No excuse not to fly the American flag

As a combat veteran, Nov. 11 is a day for me to reflect on my service, and remember those who didn’t make it back.

Seeing all the American flags around the county never ceases to send a chill down my spine.

However I was disappointed to point of anger when I arrived at my work, Stevens Hospital, to see an empty flag pole.

High atop Stevens is a huge flag pole, completely equipped with exterior lighting for flying the flag at night. I contacted administration, which informed me that the weather was too bad to fly the flag. They said the flag was too expensive to take a chance of damaging it in high winds. They said it was too big and posed a risk to raising it in windy conditions.

I called several other local hospitals, including Northwest and Evergreen, who told me their flags were flying high on this important day.

Troops rarely postpone fighting in combat because of weather. We serve in the worst conditions imaginable. We fight and get the job done, regardless of what mother nature is doing.

The flag doesn’t have to be big.

It doesn’t have to be expensive.

It just has to be the American flag.

I think it’s disgraceful that Stevens Hospital doesn’t have the pride to fly a flag on Veterans Day.

I heard all the excuses they could provide to me, and not one of them comes close to justisfying this sad lack of compassion in one simple gesture to honor our veterans!

Jay Bierman

Marysville