News-Record.com

GREENSBORO — Rules are rules at the apartment complex on West Friendly Avenue, and they apply to everyone equally. The little rectangle of cloth had to go.

So what?

So, this piece of cloth has 50 white stars on a field of blue along with 13 red and white stripes.

Don Way's American flag is simple, the kind given away at Fourth of July parades: 10 by 16 inches, stapled to a skinny dowel rod.

He hung it from the door frame outside his apartment five years ago by poking the rod through a bent finishing nail.

Turns out, that violates section XII of the Woodstream Apartments lease agreement.

Melissa Cerroni, who is serving as the temporary manager at the apartment complex, said rules about common areas were not enforced by the previous manager.

"When I got there, certain things were not being done," Cerroni said. "The community policy states there's not to be anything attached to the exterior of the building. We sent out a letter to all the residents last week reminding them, asking them to take anything off the common areas or attached to the apartments themselves."

After the letter was sent, apartment employees removed any items not in compliance.

That included Way's flag.

Way said he woke from a nap Tuesday afternoon, looked out the window and saw that his flag and two bird feeders were gone.

"At first, I thought some vandals had come along," the 86-year-old, white-haired World War II veteran said.

Way stepped outside and found his flag, bird feeders and a novelty weather gauge on the ground, tucked between the building and a neatly trimmed boxwood shrub.

"That's not right, to throw the American flag on the ground," Way said. "I can understand them not wanting someone hanging their laundry out front to dry, but an American flag? Putting it on the ground like that is a desecration."

Way served three years in the Navy as a petty officer aboard the U.S.S. Bunker Hill. The Essex-class aircraft carrier fought in 14 major battles during that time, and Way considers himself lucky:

The ship took 643 casualties when it was hit by two kamikazes off the coast of Okinawa.

"I wasn't hurt," he said. "I even won a good conduct medal. But a lot of sailors and marines who sailed under our flag were killed."

Oxygen tank in tow, Way marched down to the office to argue his case.

"By no means do I have a problem with the American flag," Cerroni said. "That's absolutely not the case, and I can't stress enough that it has nothing to do with the fact that it's an American flag. But anything that is attached to our buildings is against the rules, whether it's a poster or a satellite dish or a flag."

Cerroni said she understands Way's strong feelings, but she's simply following the rules.

"Everything has to be uniform from the outside," she said. "Everyone has the same kind of blinds, the same color blinds. It's aesthetically pleasing. There's 304 apartments there. Just imagine if everyone was to display something. It would just be too much. It would look very cluttered and junky."

Way, the son of a World War I veteran, said he's willing to part with the bird feeders and the weather gauge. But he wants to fly his flag.

He said none of his neighbors has ever complained. And at least one of those neighbors is in his corner.

"They took his flag down? I can't believe that," said Afton Freas, 18, who lives a few doors down from Way.

"They send a newsletter out every month, and the July newsletter had American flags all over it. ... He's a veteran. He fought for the right to have that flag, so he ought to be able to fly it."

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com