By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD —— A request from the Wakefield Veterans Advisory Board asking that for one day only, on Flag Day (June 14), only the American Flag and the POW-MIA flag be flown from town-owned flag poles was denied last night by the Town Council.
The Veterans Advisory Board request, if honored, would have meant that the Pride Flag, currently flying from a newly installed second flag pole at the Americal Civic Center, would come down one day early. The plan is to take down the Pride flag on June 15 and replace it with the Juneteenth Flag until June 21, at which point the Pride flag will go back up for the remainder of the month of June.
But by a vote of 4-2, the Town Council rejected the veterans’ request for a single day, Flag Day, when just the American flag would be flown.
Town Councilor Edward Dombroski made the motion to fly only the American Flag on Flag Day. Councilor Robert Vincent seconded the motion.
Dombroski clarified that the VAB was asking for a permanent change in the Flag Policy to fly only the American on Flag Day going forward. But he stressed that his motion last night was simply to honor that request for this year.
Vincent said that he supported the veterans’ request, noting that when President Harry Truman signed the proclamation creating Flag Day in 1949, he observed that the American flag “signifies our respect for human rights.”
Vincent observed that the veterans request for one day still allowed ample time for the Pride and Juneteenth flags to be flown throughout the month. He added that the Veterans Advisory Board and representatives of the Wakefield Human Rights Commission had met in 2022 and reached and understanding that the American flag alone would be flown on Flag Day.
“This is an important thing for our veterans,” Dombroski pleaded with his colleagues on the board. “The Veterans Advisory Board feels very passionate about this.”
Town Councilor Julie Smith-Galvin said that she felt “conflicted” regarding the veterans’ request. She pointed out that there are two flag poles at the Americal Civic Center, adding that she didn’t understand why both the Pride flag and the American flag couldn’t both be flown on Flag Day.
Councilor Michael McLane said that he felt that the American flag was well represented by the town’s flag policy and there was a pre-existing commitment to fly the Pride flag. He said that he would not support Dombroski’s motion to honor the veterans’ request.
The Veterans Advisory Board request letter was submitted to the Town Council on May 17. Dombroski attempted to bring it up for discussion at the Town Council’s May 22 meeting, but chairman Jonathan Chines would not entertain the request, claiming it came in too late for the agenda.
Dombroski said last night that the VAB request would mean moving the planned switch of flags by just one day. He called the veterans request for a single day to fly just the American flag “a reasonable ask.”
Chines claimed to have “heard from a couple of veterans” who opposed taking the Pride flag down a day early.
Ultimately, the following Town Councilors opposed the veterans’ Flag Day request: Michael McLane, Mehreen Butt, Julie Smith Galvin and Jonathan Chines.
Supporting the Veterans Advisory Board were Councilors Edward Dombroski and Robert Vincent.
