Soldier's Dad Flying Tattered Flag Until Son Comes Home

A California man who promised to fly the American flag until his son comes home from Iraq is getting a little heat—along with sympathy—for the tattered condition of Old Glory, reports Fox News. Louis Haros’ son, Paul, will be home this week after a tour—his second—that started in September. “I made a promise to him that it won't come down until he's home,” Haros says. “I feel if I bring it down and something happens to him. ... I don't know.”

“In a normal situation,” says Haros, “I would've brought it down a long time ago.” The Vietnam vet gets calls from passersby asking him to replace the flag. “I understand why the gentleman is doing it, but it's in tatters,” says one neighbor. An AMVETS spokesman says that while the situation is “dicey,” the flag is “a national symbol and not just a symbol of one soldier's sacrifice" and should be replaced. (More American flag stories.)