MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – One Walton County business drew a lot of criticism on Tuesday for flying their American Flag upside down.
Camp Gulf flew their American Flag with the Union facing down Tuesday morning and after outrage on social media, they changed it back that afternoon.
According to the United States Flag Code, the “Flag should never be displayed with the Union down except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life and property.”
Camp Gulf Owner Patrick O’Neill sent News 13 a statement as to why they flew the flag like that which said in part, “It is a sign of distress. In this case it is a distress of property. The same county that has continually eroded our rights has recently taken control of the property.”
The statement went on to talk about the Walton County Commissioners closing the public and private beaches and how that lead to the property being in distress.
O’Neill’s full statement can be read here.
Walton County residents even reached out to Camp Gulf to express their concern about the flag being flown upside down. One resident, Cindy Gilbertson, called and said she thought it was a poor choice made by Camp Gulf.
“I told [Camp Gulf] that this was a highly military community, that there was many military families and this was a disrespect to all military families in this community,” Gilbertson said.
Gilbertson also said that they are not the only ones in distress right now.
“I think they owe the community an apology and Walton County as a whole and our leaders are trying to do the best thing,” Gilbertson said.
