"The only time as an adult that I have cried was when I left the gate of Camp Lejeune," Bill Barrons, a San Diego-based World War II veteran, said.
Barrons looks back fondly on his days in the United States Marine Corps. He joined toward the end of World War II, but now, the 91-year-old vet said he’s on another mission.
“She will not allow me to fly my flag,” Barrons said.
For more than 10 years, Barrons said he’s been flying an American flag outside his 11th-floor apartment on State Street in downtown San Diego.
But recently, Barrons said he received a letter from his apartment complex asking him to clean his balcony and bring in his flag.
“The flag is a reasonable thing to fly if you have any patriotism in your bones, and I do,” he said.
Barrons said he appealed to the owner of the building but when he didn’t receive a reply, he contacted NBC 7 Responds for help.
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After talking with Barrons, NBC 7 Responds reached out to the building manager who put us in contact with the company that manages the property, G&K Management out of Culver City, California.
The property management company told NBC 7 Responds they met with Barrons and figured out a way he could fly his flag without modifying the building’s structure or impacting the residents living below.
“I got my flag up so I’m a really happy camper now,” Bill said.
NBC 7 Responds consulted with a tenant rights expert who explained there is no law allowing renters to fly an American flag if their landlord said no. The Freedom to Display the American Flag Act, passed in 2006, only applies to home or property owners.
To read more about the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act, click here.
