Flags Donated by EC Veterans Service Agency Replace Flags Stolen from Park ERIE COUNTY, NY— Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined by Erie County Veterans Service Agency Director Fran McLaughlin to present five flags to Col. Patrick Cunningham, Executive Director of the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park. The flags were donated by the county Veterans Service Agency to replace flags that had been stolen from the Park’s flagpoles earlier in the week. “It is an honor to present these flags and to see them flying here at the Park,” said Poloncarz. “The theft of those flags was a crime against all veterans, a shameful and inexcusable act. I would like to thank Director McLaughlin for quickly coordinating with Col. Cunningham to get things back to normal.” The five flags presented to Col. Cunningham included three U.S. flags, one P.O.W./M.I.A. flag, and one U.S. Marine Corps flag. The Veteran’s Service Agency will also work with the Park to secure a new Korean War flag, which was also stolen. “This was a team effort on the part of the staff at the Veteran’s Service Agency, and we are pleased to be able to help by giving these flags to the Park,” said Director Fran McLaughlin. “When we learned that the flags had been stolen, we realized that we would be able to help right away with flags we already had, so we immediately made arrangements with Col. Cunningham to present them.”

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