Take My Flag... Take That!

"It is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me," said (WWII Vet, Carl) Harstine, 84, who then corrected himself to say the day he married his wife took the top spot. "This has been a close second."

This is a follow up story that Tribune writer, Dan Tedford and I did on how WWII Vet Carl Harstine of San Dimas had his U.S. Flag stolen off his home two times last month.

We (in the media) and I for that matter have rarely ever seen any reaction to a story. Feedback is rare in a positive way, you are often working in a very social vacuum. It was heartening to see this kind of public outpouring in reaction to a story I helped produce.



More than 100 people came out to give Carl Harstine, a WWII veteran a new U.S. Flag Friday, Aug. 6, 2010, at his San Dimas home. Harstine has his flags stolen - twice - in the last couple months, the event is the communities response. A motorcycle club, city officials and people from La Verne and San Dimas presented Harstine with new flags and poles at the event. SGVN/Staff Photos By Eric Reed

I drove past Carl's house hours later and was reminded of a story relayed by his neighbor, Bob Knoll. He told me how Carl lives alone and when the local sheriff's deputies read that in our initial story one took it upon himself to knock on Carl's door and let him know that he will never be alone and that the officer was also a Marine and knew many in the neighborhood who would do anything for him.

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