A Virginia teenager was instructed to remove two large American flags from his truck in order to park in the school lot. Instead, he chose to be homeschooled. Officials at Staunton River High School in Bedford County, Virginia, cited the flags as a “distraction” and revoked Christopher Hartless’s parking pass when he refused to take them down. Rather than taking the bus to school, Hartless opted for homeschooling as an alternative.

“My family fought for America and I feel like I should be able to represent the flag that they fought for,” Hartless said.“I don’t understand how it’s distracting if they have one on the flagpole that every other student can see.”

His stepmother, Christina Kingery, said, “I told my son if this is what he’s believing in, then we are both going to stand behind him all the way. … “If they’re willing to change and let kids want to fly the American flag, then I’ll put him back in Staunton River… possibly put him back in Staunton River, but if they don’t, then I’m going to continue to let him fly his flags.”

“I think that every student doesn’t matter what you believe in, what flag you fly, as long as it’s not harmful and it doesn’t disgrace our country, you have the right to fly it,” she concluded.

The school sent a detailed explanation to parents regarding their actions. The explanation stated, “According to the student parking contract, which has been in use across all three of our high schools for many years, it explicitly states that ‘Large flags or banners are not allowed to be flown or displayed on vehicles due to their distractive nature.’..“Please be assured that we proudly fly the American flag throughout the school, and the Pledge of Allegiance is recited every morning.”

The National D-Day Memorial, located in Bedford County, Virginia, stands as a poignant tribute to the courageous American soldiers who valiantly participated in the historic invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. This solemn memorial serves as a reminder of the immense sacrifices made during World War II and honors the bravery and heroism of the GIs who played a pivotal role in shaping the course of history.

“Dedicated on June 6, 2001, by United States president George W. Bush and receiving as many as 100,000 visitors per year, the memorial is remarkable for its stone arch that rises nearly forty-five feet in the air,” Encyclopedia Virginia notes. “The memorial is located in Bedford partly for symbolic reasons: the Virginia town lost nineteen of its men engaged that day, all members of Company A, 29th Infantry Division, possibly the largest per capita loss of any town in America on that day.”