Ky. community looking for answers after flag stolen from veteran’s memorial

CLAY COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - Questions are being raised after an important part of a roadside makeshift veteran’s memorial in southern Kentucky was taken.

Sgt. Glenn Stanfill was killed in 2004 when he was in a crash. The memorial was put up alongside the Hal Rogers Parkway in Manchester in his honor and memory, and now just recently they have had to replace the flag, not once, but twice.

Ronnie Gay and others in Clay County have been taking care of the veteran’s memorial.

“We had some pitch in and buy the flag pole and extra flags, too,” Gay said.

The memorial is very visible after coming around the curve on the parkway. And it’s easy to see when something is missing, such as the flag.

“Some low life thing has been stealing our flags. That is about as low as you can get in my opinion,” Gay said.

They replaced the stolen flag with another. Then about three days later, the replacement flag was stolen and another went up.

“Maybe we can catch the guy or woman before we run out of flags,” Gay said.

Sanfill and others were on their way to training in Barbourville when the humvee he was in collided with a tractor trailer. He would later be posthumously promoted to sergeant.

Gay says he didn’t know Stanfill, but he feels it’s important to honor veterans. He doesn’t know why someone would do this.

“I don’t know. Sorriness. They probably sold them for a pill, I don’t know,” Gay said.

Gay said he is exploring options to help them catch whoever is doing this.

Gay said he has secured the flag better this time, which he hopes will be a deterrent in trying to steal it again.

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