Richfield police are looking at a "person of interest" in connection with the torching of 46 American flags honoring soldiers returning from duty in Iraq.
About 3 a.m. June 23, police said, a person set fire to the flags set up outside the Sevier Valley Center on Richfield's Snow College South campus. The flags were among some 700 placed there to honor members of the Utah National Guard's 222nd Field Artillery Unit. Members of the "Triple Deuce" from central and southern Utah have been serving in Iraq for more than a year.
Boy Scout troops from all over Sevier County participated in gathering the American flags. They set them up outside the events center for a program to recognize the Triple Deuce, Richfield City Councilman Kimball Poulson said.
"We were just trying to have a nice event for the homecoming," he said Tuesday. "There really isn't any reason . . . for somebody to do that."
When people arrived at the events center Friday morning, a line of melted PVC pipe and burnt red, white and blue flags greeted shocked organizers.
"We're disappointed in whoever may have set the flags on fire," said Richfield city manager Woody Farnsworth, who helped coordinate the flag display.
The flags were quickly replaced and nothing was said at that afternoon's ceremony honoring the Triple Deuce members from the Sevier County area.
"We didn't want it to be marred," Poulson said. "The question on all our minds is, why they would do that when we're honoring all the troops that are coming home?"
A surveillance camera set up outside the events center caught the flag burning on tape. Detectives were reviewing the tape Tuesday, Richfield Police Chief John Evans said.
"We've got a couple of leads," he said. "We're looking at one person."
Police said they did not know of a motive. Organizers of the celebration for the Triple Deuce were also stumped.
"We just have to suspect the person is against the war or there was someone in the 222nd that he doesn't like," Farnsworth said. "Or perhaps it was just a prank."
Damage to the flags is estimated at $2,400. Richfield and Sevier County are expected to reimburse the Scout troops for the costs of the destroyed flags. A reward is also being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the flag burner, Evans said.
On Tuesday, the Senate narrowly rejected GOP Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch's proposed constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration. The 66-34 outcome was just one vote short of the two-thirds needed to send it to the states for ratification.
Poulson said there should be no flag burning.
"I believe the country needs to stand up for the flag," he said, "especially in light of this. It's ridiculous it had to happen."
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com