OAKMONT (KDKA) — A Vietnam Veteran in Oakmont found an unpleasant surprise in his front yard on New Year’s Day.

Tony Pallatto found his flag pole destroyed by vandals.

“It’s terrible, man – what a way to start off a new year,” he told KDKA-TV.

Tony’s been in Oakmont for more than 25 years. His flag pole went up about the same time he moved in. Putting up and taking down the flag was an important part of his everyday life.

He went out for a New Year’s Eve party and came home to find the pole snapped off and his American flag and a P.O.W./ M.I.A. flag laying in the yard.

“Someone that came by and would do something like this,” Tony said. “If they don’t care for this country, they need to go to another country and see how they live.”

Calling the act a disgrace, Tony wants these people caught.

“Oh my, it devastates me man,” he said. “It’s something that I fought for for 13 months over in Vietnam and all the buddies I lost that were in my unit, it just tears me up man.”

The highly-decorated Vietnam Vet believes in the red, white and blue. He promises to have the pole back up – the flags waving in the wind as soon as he gets the $500 to replace this mess.

“It’s definitely going back up, going to get a new pole – stainless steel this time – they won’t be able to pull it over.”

Oakmont police ask anyone who has information to give them a call.

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