thedrifter
04-09-09, 08:53 AM
Daily Gazette article
Thursday, April 9, 2009
By Steven Cook
Marine flag stolen from Schenectady home
SCHENECTADY — Three members of the Rockenstire family have served in the U.S. Marine Corps proudly, including brothers Johnny and Jerry.
Johnny Rockenstire is still serving, home this week on leave from Camp Lejeune, N.C.
So the gold and scarlet of the Marine Corps flag is something that is important to them, something that they have flown proudly on their front porch — that is, until Sunday night.
That’s when their Marine flag disappeared from their Cleveland Street home, the pole found discarded around the corner. The flag still hasn’t been found.
“I’m very angry,” said Jerry Rockenstire, who served four years with the Marines and was deployed to Iraq. “I can’t believe somebody would do this. I don’t think it’s a random act.”
The Rockenstires reported the incident to the police Sunday evening, spokesman Sgt. Eric Clifford said.
With little else to go on, Clifford said the area would get added patrols. If more information surfaced, detectives would follow up. Police haven’t received reports of similar thefts in the area.
The Rockenstires said this is the second time their Marine flag has been touched. Last fall, the flag and pole were found out of the bracket and on the ground.
This time, whoever took it had to unscrew the flag from the pole.
The flag display is similar to other flag displays on the street. At least two displays were within a few doors of their home. At those homes, U.S. flags appear to have been untouched.
The Rockenstires have posted fliers around the neighborhood looking for information on what happened. They’re hoping that if anyone sees anything in the future it will be reported.
For now, they’ve gotten a new Marine flag, one that will be going exactly where the old one was, honoring all of those who served, including their grandfather, James F. Richburg, who served in the Marines in World War II and passed away last year.
“These acts in the middle of the night stealing a flag is just straight up cowardly,” said Johnny Rockenstire, 21, a corporal who is returning to North Carolina for deployment next week. “People need to realize that if they see somebody doing a similar act to report it to police.”
Ellie
Thursday, April 9, 2009
By Steven Cook
Marine flag stolen from Schenectady home
SCHENECTADY — Three members of the Rockenstire family have served in the U.S. Marine Corps proudly, including brothers Johnny and Jerry.
Johnny Rockenstire is still serving, home this week on leave from Camp Lejeune, N.C.
So the gold and scarlet of the Marine Corps flag is something that is important to them, something that they have flown proudly on their front porch — that is, until Sunday night.
That’s when their Marine flag disappeared from their Cleveland Street home, the pole found discarded around the corner. The flag still hasn’t been found.
“I’m very angry,” said Jerry Rockenstire, who served four years with the Marines and was deployed to Iraq. “I can’t believe somebody would do this. I don’t think it’s a random act.”
The Rockenstires reported the incident to the police Sunday evening, spokesman Sgt. Eric Clifford said.
With little else to go on, Clifford said the area would get added patrols. If more information surfaced, detectives would follow up. Police haven’t received reports of similar thefts in the area.
The Rockenstires said this is the second time their Marine flag has been touched. Last fall, the flag and pole were found out of the bracket and on the ground.
This time, whoever took it had to unscrew the flag from the pole.
The flag display is similar to other flag displays on the street. At least two displays were within a few doors of their home. At those homes, U.S. flags appear to have been untouched.
The Rockenstires have posted fliers around the neighborhood looking for information on what happened. They’re hoping that if anyone sees anything in the future it will be reported.
For now, they’ve gotten a new Marine flag, one that will be going exactly where the old one was, honoring all of those who served, including their grandfather, James F. Richburg, who served in the Marines in World War II and passed away last year.
“These acts in the middle of the night stealing a flag is just straight up cowardly,” said Johnny Rockenstire, 21, a corporal who is returning to North Carolina for deployment next week. “People need to realize that if they see somebody doing a similar act to report it to police.”
Ellie