HOLLAND (WWJ) - A brand new 30-by-60-foot American flag waved in the wind once again outside an Ottawa County car dealership to usher in the holiday weekend after thieves cut down the original flag five days ago.
DeNooyer Chevrolet said on social media that the landmark star spangled banner displayed off U.S. 31 and East Eight Street in Holland was stolen early Sunday, June 26 to the shock of the community.
Nicole DeNooyer expressed her disbelief to MLive after she discovered it had been taken after an employee asked her about buying a new flag.
She said, “What do you mean?”
It was then she found out someone had cut the ropes to the dealership's 100-foot-tall flag pole. The thief was caught on surveillance video lowering the massive flag and loading it up across the street in a parked vehicle behind a gas station before taking off, MLive reported.
DeNooyer said there was an "outpouring" of community support after the dealership announced the flag had been stolen on social media.
"So sad that people would do this to a company who has been part of Holland for all these years," one user wrote. "Plus to steal the American flag is even worse!"
"It's a big part of our town and people's joy to see it as we drive by," another commenter said.
"I am so upset about this!" a native to the area wrote on social media. "That is the most beautiful flag I have ever seen and I absolutely love seeing it when I drive down the highway."
"Other than weather, I cannot recall in my 40 some years when there was a giant flag flying at DeNooyer Chevy," added another.
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DeNooyer said she wanted to immediately replace the flag, was wasn't sure it was possible by the Fourth of July weekend.
DeNooyer added that her late grandfather, Robert DeNooyer Sr., started the dealership in 1953. A few years later in 1965, the dealership moved to its current location where he first raised the massive flag.
The dealership -- now owned by DeNooyer, her brother and her father -- has kept the flag flying ever since.
While the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office investigates into the theft, DeNooyer was able to get ahold of another giant flag -- it went up Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re very happy we have a flag up and flying, especially before the Fourth,” she said to MLive.
The new banner cost just under $3,000 and comes under lock and key to protect it from being stolen in the future.
“It’s not an easy flag to steal,” DeNooyer said.
According to sheriff's Captain Jake Sparks, no arrests in the case have been made.
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