News

Mansfield committee asking for return of stolen Field of Honor flags

MANSFIELD, Mass. — Several flags honoring service members in Mansfield were stolen, and the committee behind the display is hoping they can inspire the thieves to return them.

The Mansfield Field of Honor Committee put up 350 flags for one month, creating a field of stars and stripes, filled with red, white and blue.

"Every flag on this field is in honor of someone's hero," committee member Jeri Rumsis said.

Committee member Tina Silverio said the display is put up to make sure no hero's legacy is left behind.

"It's just in honor of people that we love," Silverio said. "Everyone here, every flag has a name on it. Every name is someone who has a story that's not forgotten. They're loved."

However, on Sunday morning, one member of the committee noticed some of the flags were missing.

"The poles were left, the flags were cut off," Ray Delliacono said.

Five flags in all were stolen: the firefighters flag, the police department flag, a POW/MIA flag, one in honor of all heroes and the Navy banner.

Delliacono said the committee moved all the flags to fill in holes in the display to make sure it didn't look bare.

But, committee members are hoping the flags are returned soon.

"It’s pretty low," one member said. "This is a Field of Honor in the military, veterans, first responders. All these flags mean something to somebody, so whoever stole those, if they needed them that bad, we would have given them a flag. But, to take a flag and leave the field hollow is embarrassing.”

>>RELATED: Thousands of flags planted on Boston Common for fallen service members

The flags were stolen just steps away from the Mansfield Police Department.

Mansfield Police Chief Ronald Sellon released an update on June 14, saying they found the person responsible for the theft.