COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- Two years, that's how long Tom Kifer has quietly been working to get the United States flag properly displayed at the Colonial Heights Post Office.
Exasperated, Kifer turned to social media and CBS 6 to try to solve the problem.
"I noticed the American Flag, that flies at the Colonial Heights Postal Branch, was flying at night and it wasn’t illuminated," said Kifer.
For a time, the flag was being taken down at night and put back up during the day, but Kifer said that was short-lived.
"In the big scheme of things, I'm glad the flag is here and I'm glad it flies 24 hours a day, all I'm trying to do, is get them to do the right thing and display it properly and just to illuminate it at night," he said.
Kifer's love of the stars and stripes comes from his father, who served in the military and because his daughter and her husband are both veterans.
Rose Moore heard about the problem and fired off emails to both local and state representatives.
"It's outrageous that that flag would go neglected," she said standing in front of the American Legion. She added that if they can't afford to put adequate lighting, dedicated to the American flag, then they should take it down every evening.
Bill Feasenmyer said he has approached the postmaster in the past, about a tattered or torn flag and that the post office was quick to put up a new flag and to give him the old one for proper disposal.
Feasenmyer, a past commander of American Legion Post 284, agreed that "If it's not illuminated, it should be taken down every evening and put back up during the day.”
Monday afternoon a spokesperson for the Postal Service sent a statement to CBS 6 that read: "I would like to offer an apology on behalf of the Postal Service for the situation which allowed the US Flag to fly un-illuminated at night.
The statement also said there is a dedicated light for the flag but the postmaster states the light is too far away from the flag to be effective.
The statement said that a work order for a new light has been made and until it is installed, the flag will be taken down each evening.
