veterans are upset tonight because of the 3 flags at the big i that won't be flying this weekend. today we did find some flags at the big...but they're not the grand ones we're used to seeing at new mexico's busiest interchange. jeff maher is live at the big-i to tell us what some vets say needs to happen. jeff. the flags that fly here everyday are not missing -- and they're not stolen. the state has a perfectly legitimate reason to have taken them down. but veterans say the timing is not good. a daily routine at u-n-m south golf course. the flag goes up during the day -- and comes down at night -- and is folded properly, and stored away. flags are up all over town for memorial day weekend -- at a car dealership off lomas, at the post office downtown, and on top of lovelace hospital. but not at the big-i -- where three of the most well known flags in new mexico are gone. "you get used to seeing them all the time, and then all of the sudden they're not there" it's a touchy issue for veterans at american legion post 13. they care a lot about flags -- and even have their own spot for ceremonial flag retirements. we called the state to find out what happened to the flags. a state d-o-t worker says the previous flags were old and worn out -- and are being replaced. but the new flags won't come back for a couple of weeks -- long after memorial day weekend is over. "i don't want to say that they dropped the ball, but they could have done better work on putting those flags up, with the timing and everything" someone did hoist up these two flags at the big-i. but they are small enough to fit into a bedroom and are hardly visible from the highway. "if it is the state that's supposed to be taking care of them, their timing is really off on lowering them and replacing them, seems like they should have replacement flags waiting" american legion post 13 does have three fairly large flags -- american, new mexico, and p-o-w/ m-i-a -- and they're willing to put them up if the state will allow them. we called the state to pass on that request. we haven't heard back.
