Hundreds of small American flags were stolen from a DeKalb County neighborhood just before the Fourth of July, but that didn’t keep the community from celebrating a patriotic Independence Day.
The theft of the 500 flags in late June surprised the Druid Hills neighborhood, which has held an annual Fourth of July parade since 1976, Channel 2 Action News reported.
"They were beautiful, then they disappeared," one resident, Major Coleman, told the news station.
READ MORE: Hundreds of flags stolen along July 4 parade route in Druid Hills
Kit Eisterhold, president of the Druid Hills Civic Association, stepped up and paid out of his own pocket for new flags, which were placed every few feet along North Decatur and Oakdale roads.
"It's a little demoralizing, having to go back and do something you've already done," Eisterhold told Channel 2. "But they all got put out. The Fourth is important. A sense of community is important. The flag is important."
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The 44th annual parade went on as scheduled Thursday.
"Driving around the neighborhood since the incident, once the flags were restored, it restored our sense of pride in our neighborhood," Druid Hills resident Lois Oakley said.
A home surveillance system showed what appears to be a man and a woman walking down the sidewalk late on June 23 and pulling up the flags. Some were discarded in nearby bushes, Channel 2 reported.
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