'A great day:' 1,000 stolen American flags recovered, returned to local Rotary club

Denise Haynes, event director for the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club's annual Thousand Flags celebration, was relieved and thrilled, all at once. So were several other club members.

"This is just a great day. It really is," Haynes told The Californian late Wednesday afternoon.

The reason for their happiness?

More than 1,000 American flags stolen earlier this month were discovered Wednesday stacked haphazardly at a property near Eucalyptus Drive and Denison Lane in east Bakersfield.

The flags, flagpoles and rebar support structures designed to hold them safely in place had been stored in a trailer that disappeared on the night of Nov. 3 or the early morning of Nov. 4.

Those flags, of course, are the same flags seen waving at The Park at River Walk each Memorial Day weekend for the inspiring Thousand Flags celebration.

"There was an outpouring of support from the community," said Sandra Parnell, the club's incoming president.

"Chevron, Rain for Rent, the Lions Club in Arvin, and others all reached out asking how they could help," she said.

The recovered flags still need to be counted, Parnell said, but it appears most of the flags are present and accounted for, and they seem to be in good condition.

Only the rebar used to secure the flagpoles were still missing Wednesday.

Haynes, a longtime member of the club, which organizes the annual Thousand Flags event, said the path to the location of the flags began with the recovery of the empty trailer last week.

"Late Friday afternoon we received a call from the BPD," she said. "They were on site at the DMV ... and they said, 'We think we have your trailer. Would you like to come down and check it out?'"

It turned out it was indeed their trailer. A man had purchased it and decided he'd better register it legally.

"Fortunately, the VIN number was tagged as a stolen vehicle," Haynes said.

Information police received from the buyer led them to the property in east Bakersfield, where it appears many live off the grid under difficult conditions.

There, most of the stolen American flags were found still on their flagpoles with their protective plastic sleeves still in place.

Some of the flags had been taken off their flagpoles for some reason, and those may need to be dry cleaned.

"It's sad. This has been tough for Rotary and the entire community," Haynes said of the "emotional" episode.

But on Wednesday, the sadness turned to gladness.

"It's clear we are going to move forward with Thousand Flags next year," she said.

"This is amazing."

The annual Thousand Flags event will surely go forward again on Memorial Day and many other Memorial Days in years to come.