A Palm Bay veteran is up in arms over a tattered American flag that was damaged in Hurricane Irma and is still flying.

  • Palm Bay veteran upset by tattered American flag
  • Flag wrapped around cellphone tower; damaged by hurricane
  • Waszkiewicz tried calling company that owns property; no response

For Navy veteran Bob Waszkiewicz, the American flag was the symbol of freedom he fought for in Vietnam.

"I noticed it when we came outside the day after the hurricane," Waszkiewic said. "It had been wrapped up around that pole."

"I remember when it was flying, it was a beautiful sight up there," he added.

But the predicament of the Old Glory near his southwest Palm Bay home is heartbreaking.

"There's been no improvement in its condition in six months," Waszkiewicz said.

The flag sits high atop this cell phone tower on LaGrange Street, among houses and empty lots.

Cell phone companies are required to camouflage their towers, making them more ascetically pleasing to the surrounding area.  

It somehow stayed attached during Irma's strong winds but became tattered, ripped and worn. On calm weather days, the flag is wrapped around the top of the nearly 100 foot tall pole.

The property is owned by SBA Communications out of South Florida. Waszkiewicz said he tried to contact them and sent them pictures of the deteriorated flag, but he hasn't heard back.

Federal law about proper displaying of an American flag states:

"The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

For now, this vet will hope for something to be done and salute the day this flag is taken down and retired properly.

"Let's fix it, that's all I'm asking," Waszkiewicz said.

Spectrum News 13 contacted SBA Communications ourselves and are waiting for a call back.