This isn’t much of a welcome to South Carolina for a man who recently moved from Florida. The tradition in his former neighborhood was to fly the American flag….He soon learned his patriotism wasn’t appreciated in his new neighborhood:

An elderly man is proving to be unflappable after his neighbor allegedly raged on him because of the American flag flying in the man’s front yard.

The (Florida) Citrus County Chronicle reports on the Christmas Eve attack:

 

Lucille Blanchard, 50, of South Spice Wood Terrace, Lecanto, at 1:48 p.m. Dec. 24 on a felony charge of battery on a person over the age of 65 and a misdemeanor charge of petit theft.

According to her arrest affidavit, “Blanchard is accused (of) grabbing her 69-year-old neighbor by his shirt and pushing him backward, then stealing his American flag valued at approximately $15.”

She was reportedly “upset that her neighbor had a flag in his front yard and came over to remove it when the altercation occurred,” the paper reports.

Her bond was set at $2,500.

“It’s an American flag and I’ve always flew one,” victim Steve Horner tells Fox 13.

Horner says he recently moved to Florida from South Carolina and erected the flag in his front yard “just like others on the block have done as well.”

“She texted my wife what’s up with the flag,” Horner says.

“We’re just minding our own business you know ‘take that God damn flag down just for one day’ I said I ain’t taking that flag down,” he tells the news station.

After the order, the family thought Blanchard would go home.

Instead, she allegedly raged.

He says she took the flag stand out and threw it at the ground.

“I told her you come over here again I’m going to call the law on you,” Horner says.

He tried to protect the flag but Blanchard reportedly continued to go wild on her elderly neighbor.

“I was holding on to it and she was pulling my shirt and I just turned loose of the flag and just let her take it,” he says.

Despite the violence, Horner says he’ll still fly Old Glory.

“No I’m not going to take it down why in the hell should I take down.”