Holding a tattered POW/MIA flag in his hands, Korean War veteran Bob Dumas can not hide the disgust at the vandals who damaged it.
"Desecrating a flag that represents so much to the families is unbelievable," said Dumas, 81, of Canterbury.
For years, the POW/MIA flag flew on the flag pole outside the Plainfield Post Office, until vandals got a hold of it.
"This happened sometime during the night Tuesday night into Wednesday," said Plainfield Deputy Police Chief Michael Surprenant.
Vandals removed the flag, cut deliberate holes in it with a knife and then ran it back up the flag pole, police said.
Dumas points out where someone tried to cut the word "Not" out of the phrase "You Are Not Forgotten" -- meaningful words for veterans and the families of the missing.
"Of course it hits home. It should hit home for everyone in the country because we are trying to get closure for these families and by ruining a flag like that that is not closure. It lets everybody see that nobody is interested," Dumas said.
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The POW cause is especially personal for Dumas. His brother, Roger was captured while fighting in North Korea, and never returned home.
Dumas believes his brother Roger is still alive. He says he has spoken to an American traveler who claims he met Roger Dumas in a mining camp there as recently as 2007. But the last military records to list Roger Dumas as a prisoner are from 1953.
In the nearly 60 years since his brother went missing, Bob Dumas has been fighting for answers and the POW/MIA flag served as a reminder of that fight. Now he wants to know who would slash it and leave it tattered.
"I notified the FBI because it was on government property and in turn they're going to investigate and see who did this and why they did it," Dumas said.
Plainfield police are also investigating and asking the public to come forward with any information.
