Fifteen months ago, Oxford resident David Zanin had something very precious and irreplaceable stolen from his front yard.
But thanks to local veterans and the U.S. Marines and Army, Zanin once again has a tangible symbol of his service to his country and an heirloom to pass on to his four-year-old son, Hunter.
During a surprise ceremony held Friday night at Oxford American Legion Post 108, Zanin was presented with an American flag flown over Forward Operating Base Camp Bucca, an internment facility for security detainees located in Iraq.
‘I really don’t know what to say,? said Army Reserve Sgt. First Class Zanin, who served in Iraq at Camp Bucca from August 2005 through August 2006 with the 785th Military Police Battalion out of Fraser, Michigan. ‘I wasn’t expecting this. I thank all of you guys. I really appreciate it.?
The flag, along with a framed certificate authenticating that it was flown over Camp Bucca on Sept. 11, 2007, was presented by Mary Merritt, a member of the Women Marines Association and veteran of the Marine Corps.
‘They flew a flag in his honor,? she explained.
‘This means a lot to me,? said Zanin, who’s served in the Army for 15 years, both active duty and reserve. ‘The flag represents everything that I’m about.?
On Sept. 11, 2006, the American flag Zanin brought home with him from Iraq, a flag that also flew over Camp Bucca, was stolen in the middle of the night along with 17-feet of metal flag pole and a black POW/MIA flag.
‘They left me the three feet that was cemented in the ground,? said Zanin, who’s currently pursuing a degree in criminal justice while working at Odyssey Industries in Orion. He’s also still active in the Army Reserve.
‘It was very upsetting,? said Zanin’s wife, Robyn. ‘That flag didn’t just get flown at Camp Bucca, it went with him everywhere he went in Iraq.?
When Oxford resident Al Yates, a Vietnam veteran (1970-72) and member of Post 108, heard about the theft, he was mad and wanted to help Zanin.
‘The kid went out and served his country, then some punk did something nasty,? he said.
Yates told Merritt, who works with him at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Orion, about the situation and she went to work.
Merritt, of Romeo, wrote some letters, but they all got her nowhere.
So, she decided to contact Sgt. Major Bryan Battaglia with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. He in turn contacted Command Sgt. Major Neil Ciotola over at Camp Bucca and as they say, mission accomplished.
‘That’s how we were able to get it done,? she said. ‘It took the Marines to get it done.?
The whole process took about a year, according to Merritt.
Yates said they had to send copies of The Oxford Leader’s Sept. 20, 2006 story about the flag’s theft to prove it was true.
‘They get so many requests for flags to be flown from people that just want souvenirs,? he explained.
Both Yates and Merritt were glad they could help replace Zanin’s stolen flag.
‘We didn’t want him to remember his service to his country with a negative tone,? Yates said. ‘Hopefully, this will make him feel that the community does care. Those of us who are old enough to have gone through Vietnam want to make sure everybody who serves after that has a more positive feeling about serving this country than some of us did.?
‘The military really is a brotherhood and we try to help each other as much as we can,? Merritt said. ‘It doesn’t matter what branch of service they’re in. All that matters is if we can help a fellow veteran. That’s what we’re here to do.?
Zanin’s wife, who was in on the surprise, was particularly touched. ‘I think it’s fabulous that people go out of their way to do things like this to honor people,? Robyn said. ‘He deserves it.?
Zanin plans to keep his new flag safe and sound.
‘I don’t think I’m going to fly this one,? he said. ‘I’m going to encase it and keep it from being stolen again.?
As for that missing flag pole, Zanin’s comrades at the Legion took care of that, too.
According to Pat Pitel, vice president of the Ladies Auxiliary Unit 108, a 50/50 raffle was held during one of Post 108’s karaoke nights. It raised $185 (thanks to the winner donating the prize money back) for Zanin to purchase a new pole and some replacement flags.