Members of the committee maintain the flag violates code.
by Amy Batista, Special Writer
BORDENTOWN CITY — Members of the city’s Veterans Memorial Committee stood by their decision to refuse to fly a flag honoring and remembering military personnel, including the late Army SPC Benjamin Moore, during its committee meeting on March 6.
Members of the committee maintain the flag violates code.
”We are very saddened by the decision of the Veterans Committee,” said SPC Moore’s mother, Amy Moore, of Robbinsville, in an email on Sunday. “They just don’t get it. Our intent on presenting the committee the flag was to thank the community for their love and support we received back in January of 2011 when we lost our son.
”The decision of the committee has put a huge divide in the community,” she added.
Committee Chairman Bruce Throckmorton defended the decision.
”We might be wrong,” said Mr. Throckmorton. “We’re doing the best we can. We did not do anything casually. If you feel it’s personal I’m genuinely sorry.
”We were requested to fly the Honor and Remember Flag,” Mr. Throckmorton added. “We sent a letter out to the Moores and thanked them and said that we would fly the flag at our earliest opportunity and we didn’t.”
Mr. Throckmorton noted that the committee realized that there were some “substantial issues with the flag.” A letter was then sent to the Moores explaining why it was inappropriate for it to fly at the memorial.
”We felt it was a violation of the flag code,” he added. “There are no sanctions if you violate the flag code. The flag code tells you how you are to respect the flag.”
The committee reviewed the flag code and reviewed it again.
”Frankly, I was hoping we could come up with a compromise,” Mr. Throckmorton said. “Some way we could fly this flag because I know how much it means to many people in this community but I can’t. I have studied the flag code and I believe it’s a violation.
”It is a commercial representation,” he added, noting there is a trademark on the flag. “It is a commercial statement which is inconsistent with the goal of the memorial. We don’t have commercial statements at the memorial.”
He further noted that the committee didn’t take the matter lightly.
”This has been something we’ve struggled with a lot,” he said. “This is a humble little memorial. It can’t carry a lot of flags.”
Patrick Moore, Benajmin’s father, was the first to stand up and address the committee and described the night chaplain knocked on their door to tell them the news.
”We choose to honor and remember him,” said Patrick Moore, of Robbinsville. “So our journey has brought us here. What we do is raise money. We traveled over 6,000 miles last year on our own time, our own money to give directly to veterans.”
Mr. Moore noted that 19 states have signed this into law.
”I have to say this is the only group of veterans committee that has ever done this,” Mr. Moore said.
Other committee members have stated their belief that the American flag was the only flag needed to remember and honor veterans as many of them noted that is the flag flying at their home.
”I believe the American Flag is the flag,” said a Committee member Brian Murray. “This whole notion that we are not honoring people upsets me and it angers me because we did honor people and we continue to honor people.”
”Our responsibility is far greater than just honoring people than people who just died on that wall,” added Committee Member Air Force Master Sergeant Christopher Hofrichter. “We have to think about the people who lived and came home. We have to think about the people that maybe came home but their injuries are so bad they are sitting in a wheelchair. Where’s their flag?”
Mr. Hofrichter held up other flags that were designed and not being flown.
”As ridiculous as you guys may think this sounds there were considerations that we had to look into that were pain staking to go through,” Mr. Hofrichter said. “We have to make sure we are honoring all of our veterans.”

