A group of Green Bay, Wisconsin, police personnel banded together to replace an American flag for a widow after they learned the flag she hung outside her home in her husband’s honor had been stolen, authorities said Friday.
The unidentified woman had placed the flag in front of her home as a tribute to her husband, a World War II veteran who recently died, according to a post on the Green Bay Police Department’s Facebook page.
After learning of the Thursday night theft and hearing the widow’s story, Officer Rob Ecke decided to go out and purchase a new American flag for the woman, the post stated.
Ecke, along with Officer Thorseson, Lt. Strouf and Capt. Muraski, were credited in the post “for righting this wrong.”
A Facebook user who identified herself as the woman’s granddaughter thanked the department for its dedication and generosity in helping her grandmother.
It “is greatly appreciated. My grandpa was a great man and the flag is a way she honors him,” Susan Llamera wrote. “And for the one that stole the flag shame on you to do this.”
The department responded to Llamera’s comment, writing that her grandmother “is a wonderful young lady and we were happy to help her honor your Grandad!”
Many other commenters also praised the department’s actions.
The post received more than 20,000 likes within the first 24 hours. It has also been shared thousands of times.
