Elderly woman fights to fly American flag

It’s the 4th of July – Independence Day – and across the United States, millions of Americans are celebrating the birth of their country. But in El Paso, Texas, one woman in an assisted living community says she is fighting just to fly a flag.

As reported in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal newspaper, 86 year-old Leonor Valadez, has tried to have management of Sun Plaza Apartments fly the American flag on a flagpole outside the housing complex, but to no avail.

When the flagpole was empty, she says she donated a flag to the facility, only to later have it later stolen, and then when she tried to install one herself, she was told that the rope disappeared. But now Old Glory is flying high.

Valadez says she fought hard to have the flag installed because she has a long history of patriotism.

“I was born in the United States and I had four brothers who were in the military,” she told the Avalanche-Journal.

Valadez grew up in Alpine, Texas, and was one of 12 siblings born to Mexican immigrants.

Management from Sun Plaza Apartments say the delays were unfortunate, but that they are happy to once again be flying the American flag.

“We have very patriotic residents, especially here at Sun Plaza. We’re grateful for some of those residents who are vocal about it,” Shane Griffith with the El Paso Housing Authority, which manages Sun Plaza, told the newspaper.