TELL US: Veterans Complain About Half-Mast Flag at Bank

The way American flags are treated around town has some veterans steamed.

Columbia Bank on Amboy Avenue, across from the old Mauro Motors building, has had its flag had half-mast since December. In Sewaren, the Post Office keeps its flag up 24 hours a day, but with no illumination on it.

Several former military men pointed out that both places have it wrong, and that it shows a lack of respect for the country's symbol of freedom and for the men who fought and died that symbol.

"It's just wrong. They shouldn't treat the flag like that," said one veteran, who didn't want his name published. He said he had complained to the bank, but he was ignored.

Donna Rivera, branch manager of Columbia Bank, said that the flag had been at half mast since the Connecticut school shootings in December. "We haven't gotten an email from our marketing department telling us otherwise," Rivera said.

"Why would anyone be concerned about it?"

The word came back in December from Gov. Chris Christie's office, ordering that flags be flown at half mast in memory of the children who were killed in the Newtown, CT school shootings. That executive order was dated December 14, an aide in the governor's office said. 

A call to the bank's corporate headquarters on Friday, though, seems to have straightened the flag situation out. 

"It was just an oversight on the part of the branch manager. It's now back up to full mast," said Mark Proudman, Columbia Bank's senior vice president of branch administration.

Another flag etiquette situation arose at the Sewaren Post Office, located on Woodbridge Avenue. Veterans said that while the flag is always up, 24 hours a day, it's not illuminated. 

A veteran complained that when they do take the flag down, they don't follow proper procedures and treat it with respect.

"They let it drop on the ground, they don't fold it up," a vet complained. "They roll it up in a ball and throw it in a box."

George Flood, a spokesman for the Postal Service, said he would be investigating the matter. "We follow the national standards for flag protocol. The Sewaren Post Office is expected to follow the protocol," he said.

"They should have a light on it, or it should be taken down properly," Flood said. "[How the flag is treated is] important to us as well. We have well over 100,000 veterans working for us.

"We're sensitive to that issue."

TELL US: Do you see a flag that isn't illuminated at night, or seems permanently stuck at half mast? Tell us the name of the business and the address below, and we'll try to get some answers.